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within the scope of Polish language and literaturę, mathematics, and a subject chosen by the applicant.

General lyceums enrol young people aged between 15 and 19 years.

The generał lyceum prepares its graduates for higher education, social life, active participation in culture, employment and family life. These aims are achieved through the proper selection of teaching contents tailored to pupils’ abilities and interests.

Courses in the lyceum are organised within several branches or sections, these including: mathematics and physics, humanities, biology and chemistry, ecology, generał education, sports, etc. One of these sections is chosen by the pupil at the start of education in the lyceum. It is, however, possible to change the section if it turns out that the original choice does not correspond to the pupil’s abilities and interests. The concept of specialised education is not followed by all lyceums. Some of them, in particular non-public lyceums established after 1989, use independent authors’ curricula, developed for a given school and approved by the Ministry of National Education.

Curricula adopted by lyceums take into account the core curricula defined by the Ministry of National Education, i.e. the minimum set of knowledge and skills which a pupil in this age group should be able to demonstrate.

Education is divided by school subjects which correspond to individual academic disciplines. The total weekly load ranges from 31 hours (periods) in Form I to 25 hours in Form IV (the framework timetable for the generał lyceum is attached in the annex). In specialised forms, i.e. those belonging to a specialised section, morę time is allocated to the so-called major subjects, which determine the character of the section, than to other subjects.

Moreover, some generał lyceums have bilingual divisions where the first foreign language is used, in addition to the Polish language, as the language of instruction for activities organised within some of the subjects.

The types of mainstream generał lyceums described above exist in parallel with 4-year special generał lyceums for young people with special educational needs. These schools follow timetables and curricula designed for the mainstream lyceum, and additionally provide correctional and remedial education.

At the end of a 4-year course in the lyceum, pupils may take the maturity examination (matura), also referred to as the matriculation examination, which comprises written examinations in two subjects (the Polish language as compulsory, and another subject to be chosen by the pupil) and orał examinations in three subjects (the Polish language, a foreign language and a subject chosen by the pupil). Pupils take all examinations in their own school, before an examination board which is composed only of their school teachers. Those who have been successful in all of the prescribed examinations are awarded the maturity certificate of the generał lyceum (świadectwo dojrzałości liceum ogólnokształcącego). This document is the minimum requirement for gaining access to higher education institutions. It does not, however, grant any vocational qualifications.

The maturity examination is not compulsory. Those who have not taken this examination obtain the certificate of completion of education in the generał lyceum (świadectwo ukończenia lyceum ogólnokształcącego), provided that they have successfully completed education at this level. This certificate allows its holders to continue their education in post-lyceum which have the status of secondary vocational schools, orto take up employment, even though this certificate does not confirm any vocational gualifications.

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