Poland proposes new high school curriculum with more contemporary literature

The Educational Research Institute (IBE-PIB) has released a proposal for a new Polish language curriculum for upper secondary schools, including four-year high schools and five-year technical schools. The changes are slated to take effect on September 1, 2027, initially for first-year students.

A key feature of the proposal is an increased emphasis on contemporary literature that addresses modern social, cultural, and civilizational issues. While the plan aims to provide teachers with greater flexibility in selecting texts, it maintains several classical works as mandatory reading. Proposed required titles include Bolesław Prus’s ‘Lalka’, Adam Mickiewicz’s ‘Pan Tadeusz’ and ‘Dziady cz. III’, Juliusz Słowacki’s ‘Kordian’, Zygmunt Krasiński’s ‘Nie-Boska komedia’, and Stanisław Wyspiański’s ‘Wesele’. The curriculum also includes works by Polish Nobel laureates, such as Henryk Sienkiewicz, as well as historical texts like ‘Bogurodzica’ and works by Jan Kochanowski.

The proposal was developed by over 200 experts, including teachers, academics, and methodologists. The documents will undergo review by the Council for Monitoring the Implementation of Educational Reform before being submitted to the Ministry of National Education for a final decision.