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We already know the fundamentalsfundamentalsfundamentals of the education system in Poland. However, our membership in the European Union opens up more opportunities for all who would like to study or supplementto supplementsupplement their education abroad. It is not difficult, you just need to know how and where you can study.

Educational policy of the European Union

Each of the European Union countries shapes its educational policy independently, but the Community supports them in this task, defining the common goals and disseminatingto disseminatedisseminating good practices. Education systems in the EU countries differ in many respects, including management model, financing method, educational levels, age of starting and completing compulsory education.

The model of European education and national educational systems in Europe are subject to toughtoughtough competition from American and Asian educational models. In such circumstancescircumstancescircumstances, the response to these changes in the European educational environment was the Bologna Declaration signed on June 19, 1999. According to the Declaration: „A Europe of Knowledge is now widely recognised as an irreplaceableirreplaceableirreplaceable factor for social and human growth and as an indispensableindispensableindispensable component to consolidate and enrichto enrichenrich the European citizenship, capable of giving its citizens the necessary competences to face the challenges of the new millennium, together with an awareness of shared values and belonging to a common social and cultural space. The importance of education and educational co‑operation in the development and strengthening of stable, peaceful and democratic societies is universally acknowledged as paramountparamountparamount (...). The declaration also draws attentionto draw attentiondraws attention to the central role of the University in the cultural development of Europe. It emphasizes the importance of creating the European Higher Education Area as a key to increase the employability and mobility of citizens and the overall development of the continent.”

European Information Network on Education

In the case of labor migration of parents who are EU citizens, according to its law, children are entitled to free language learning in a new country, so that they can adapt to the new school environment more easily.

It should be remembered, however, that the education system in the new country may be very different from that in the country of origin. For example, in some countries you should choose between academic and professional education at a very early age. That is why the EU does not automatically recognize school certificates from other member states. In some countries, you should ask the appropriate national office to recognize your school certificate before being enrolled at your local school.

You can learn about educational systems in EU countries from the European Education Information Network – EURYDICE. The network was created in 1980 jointlyjointlyjointly by the European Commission and EU member states to exchange information on national education systems.

The Eurydice network consists of:

• the European Eurydice Unit, which coordinates the work of the network, analyzes the information collected and publishes studies;

• 40 national offices in 36 countries participating in the European Erasmus + programme that collect national information and take part in ongoing analyses

The modern world is changing very fast. Inventions, technological progress, development of knowledge - all this means that one should learn and educate throughout life to keep up with these changes. Currently, if we want to educate, we can choose a school in Poland as well as abroad. In both cases, we will gain a wealth of new knowledge and skills that can be used in the future in professional life.

Keywords

education system, good practices, youth exchange, long distance education, lifelong learning, Erasmus+, Bologna Declaration, Eurydice

Glossary