Polish Education Minister Barbara Nowacka stated she had no choice regarding mandatory health education and addressed speculation about a potential government reshuffle.
Health Education Status
A decision on whether health education will become a mandatory subject from September will be made by the end of March. Currently, around 30 percent of students attend these classes, with only 10 percent in high schools and 8 percent in technical schools.
Minister Nowacka believes the subject is necessary, but acknowledged that making it non-mandatory led to low participation rates. She stated, “Youth do not attend non-mandatory subjects. This must be clearly stated.”
Forced Compliance on Health Education
Nowacka emphasized she “had no choice” in agreeing to make health education non-mandatory this school year, stating that a minister must comply with high-level government decisions.
Government Restructuring Speculation
Nowacka addressed media reports about a potential government restructuring, noting that the last reshuffle occurred in July 2025, reducing the Council of Ministers by five members.
Reports suggest potential replacements for three ministers: Education (Barbara Nowacka), Culture (Marta Cienkowska), and Health (Jolanta Sobierańska-Grenda). Nowacka stated that any minister can be dismissed by the Prime Minister at any time.
Prime Minister Denies Restructuring Plans
Prime Minister Donald Tusk commented on the rumors, stating he was unaware of the source of the speculation and denied having any current plans for further government restructuring.
Tusk Seeks Greater Decisiveness from Nowacka
According to RMF FM, the Prime Minister expects greater decisiveness from Nowacka, particularly regarding health education, which remains a non-mandatory subject despite previous announcements. The discussion took place with a wider group.
Nowacka stated she was unaware of the source of the information regarding the Prime Minister’s expectations.
School Phone Ban and Social Media Restrictions
The conversation also involved interest from several coalition parties in banning phones in schools. The Prime Minister requested that a section of the Civic Coalition’s parliamentary project regarding limiting access to social media be processed as a government initiative.
Nowacka assured that a ban on social media use for individuals under 15 will be implemented this year.
Upcoming School Phone Ban
On March 18th, Barbara Nowacka announced that the Ministry of National Education is finalizing regulations to ban the use of mobile phones in schools from September 1, 2026.
She emphasized that this decision was accelerated following a conversation with Prime Minister Donald Tusk. The ban will apply to lessons and breaks, with exceptions for justified cases, such as health reasons or teacher discretion, but not as a standard practice.