In the schools audited by NIK, all teachers had required qualifications to conduct the classes. According to the data obtained with the Ministry of National Education (MEN), more than 94 percent of all schools in Poland had playgrounds in place and in 20 percent of schools playgrounds met the requirements of the Joyful school programme. NIK takes note of MEN’s efforts aimed at preparing schools to admit 6 year-olds. At the same time, though, the Polish SAI points out that the admission thresholds specified in the explanatory statement to the Bill were not met in subsequent years of the transition period. The great majority of audited schools were positively evaluated although in many cases with various irregularities.
NIK inspectors identified the following irregularities:
- some facilities (including gyms and computer classrooms) were not equipped in line with the instructions set out in the core curriculum of general education;
- a part of schools did not have properly organised care in after-school rooms and were not ready to provide one hot meal a day;
- in some schools regulations in terms of health and safety were not observed (e.g. furniture was not adapted to pupils’ height or there were no barriers to prevent children from running out to the street).
All irregularities should be eliminated by 1 September 2014. However, according to NIK, the audited schools are able to do it before the end of this school year.
