Renata Kaznowska, Warsaw’s deputy mayor in charge of education, said early sign-ups show uneven interest across schools and stressed that participation often depends on principals and teachers.
“We think that for the first year with a new subject, it’s not bad,” she said.
Kaznowska acknowledged the weaker showing in upper-secondary schools but noted that optional subjects typically draw fewer students.
“There’s no reason for satisfaction regarding post-primary schools, but we are talking about a non-compulsory subject. In upper-secondary schools, optional classes such as religion or ethics are also attended by a small share of students,” she said.
She added that participation could rise as parents learn more about the curriculum and once a textbook is available.
Preliminary figures from other cities show wide variation:
- Krakow: about 33% of eligible pupils enrolled (17,081 out of 51,116). In the Myślenice municipality, two schools reported no interest. In Nowy Sącz, more than 80% of primary pupils and over 90% of upper-secondary students opted out.
- Kielce: roughly 36% of primary pupils and 10% of high-school students signed up.
- Wrocław: over 92% of upper-secondary and special-school students were withdrawn from the subject; among primary schools, more than 56% were withdrawn, with the highest opt-out rates in grades VII and VIII.
- Poznań: participation reported at 73% in grade IV, 64% in grade V, 57% in grade VI, 41% in grade VII and 33% in grade VIII; 18% in general and technical high schools and 23.33% in first-degree vocational schools.
- Olsztyn: of 12,834 eligible pupils, 9,353 (72.29%) withdrew, either personally or via parents.
Health education replaced “family life education” on September 1 and is optional this year. Parents who did not want their children to attend had to file a written opt-out with the school principal by September 25; adult students had to submit the form themselves.
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Source: PAP, RMF24