Polish education officials dispute the cause of miscalculated per-student funding, triggering repayment requests from private schools.
Dispute Over Funding Calculation Errors
Experts attribute overestimation of per-student funding to bureaucratic errors, while the Ministry of National Education (MEN) attributes it to the implementation of new regulations.
Local Autonomy in Education Funding
Currently, the financing of educational tasks is linked to the autonomy of local governments in shaping educational policy within their areas. The actual effects of implementing these tasks vary depending on each local government’s independent application of regulations.
Consequently, the Ministry of Education does not monitor the settlement of subsidies, according to Deputy Minister Henryk Kiepura.
Reduction in Standard A Funding
The Ministry of National Education continues to address concerns regarding reduced financial support for students calculated last year. This resulted in a correction of the number of “calculated” students.
As a result, the Standard A amount was reduced (approximately 62 zł per student) for the entire year 2025. Private schools are now required to return portions of previously received subsidies – for example, a school with 1,000 students may have to return over 100,000 zł.
Financial Instability for Private Schools
Independent MP Marcin Józefaciuk warns that this situation poses a serious threat to the financial stability of private schools, their budget planning, and trust in the education funding system. Questions from both the MP and private schools have been directed to the Ministry of National Education.
A response to the parliamentary interpellation was received only in the second half of March 2026.