Former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has urged the Ministry of National Education to adjust jubilee award criteria to include thousands of experienced teachers, but the Ministry has declined the proposal.
The Dispute over 45-Year Service Awards
Former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has intervened with the Ministry of National Education (MEN) regarding the allocation of jubilee awards for 45 years of service. He argued that current regulations create a sense of injustice among long-term educators who remain professionally active.
The Gap for 6,000 Educators
The right to the award applies to teachers who reached the required seniority after January 1, 2026. This excludes those who reached 45 years of service in 2025, including those hitting the milestone on December 31, 2025, while still working.
According to school estimates, this regulatory gap affects approximately 6,000 active educators who perform the same duties as those eligible for the new benefit.
Risks to the Education System
Morawiecki noted that many of these teachers continue working past retirement age due to a sense of responsibility for students and a need to ensure school continuity amidst staff shortages. He warned that current rules may demotivate experienced staff and exacerbate personnel problems.
The Ministry’s Rejection
Vice-Minister Henryk Kiepura stated that the July 25, 2025 law aimed to improve teachers’ economic situations, claiming the new entitlements followed years of neglect under the Law and Justice (PiS) government.
Kiepura added that no transitional provisions were planned and pointed out that the solutions were implemented while Morawiecki was Prime Minister. The Ministry of National Education does not plan to amend the Teacher’s Charter to grant the 45-year award retroactively.
