First data on health education

What do the numbers say?

The GrowSPACE Foundation presents the first data on the new Health Education subject. They show that 5817.08 FTEs have been planned for the new subject nationwide. 3945.25 of them are filled, which is 67.82% of the national staffing.

More than 90% of local governments have successfully prepared schools for Health Education classes. There were significant staffing problems in only 175 municipalities, which remain so-called "white spots," i.e. places without a single health education teacher or teacher. At the same time, as many as 1,412 municipalities fully staffed all planned posts and had no staff shortages.

- This is a huge number, which shows that the Polish school system is prepared to teach health education. Teachers are ready to teach young people about health, and schools are the right place to effectively promote pro-health attitudes, healthy lifestyles and pre-psychological support, " says Dominik Kuc of the GrowSPACE Foundation, which presented the data.

The data was collected through access to public information in August 2025. 90.43% of local government units responded.

Differences in regions and types of schools

According to the data, significant differences are apparent between primary secondary schools. Elementary schools are staffed with 75.2% of FTEs, while secondary schools are staffed with 41.04%.

The best performing provinces are Warmian-Masurian (80.48% of filled positions) and Łódź (79.3% of filled positions), and the worst performing are Lower Silesian (52.36% of filled positions) and Świętokrzyskie (56.77% of filled positions).

- Health Education is not and should not be an add-on, but a real investment in the mental, physical health and knowledge of young people. In perspective, we should strive to change the legislation so that Health Education is a mandatory part of a child's lesson plan - because it is knowledge that accompanies us all our lives. Knowledge in which there is no room for anything other than scientific facts," comments Jan Pieniążek, GrowSPACE Foundation expert.

Profrecence action

At the same time, the GrowSPACE Foundation, with the support of other organizations, is presenting pro-frequency materials for children and adolescents and also for parents. Under the slogan "Don't write off - support", materials were presented to inform about the positive effects of health education.

It is a modern subject that teaches:

- How to take care of yourself, healthy food, sleep, hygiene, movement, rest;

- How to use the phone and the Internet wisely;

- How to deal with stress and peer pressure;

- How to talk and cooperate with others, set a boundary and be an empathetic person;

- How to give first aid and behave in an emergency situation.

- Health education in schools is a necessity and a response to real needs. It is not an add-on to the timetable, but the foundation for preparing young people for life in a challenging world. It teaches how to take care of one's own body and psyche, helps recognize risks and strengthens the competencies necessary for adulthood. During adolescence, adolescents are particularly vulnerable to risky behaviors, so health education should shape preventive attitudes and give tools to consciously choose safe solutions, adds Nina Slugocka, health project coordinator at the GrowSPACE Foundation. - In order for health education to become a real step towards a school that teaches the competencies of the future, male and female teachers are needed. The core curriculum emphasizes their key role in teaching the subject, which is why it is so important that they have adequate preparation and support.

Source: GrowSPACE Foundation