A revolution in reading. Fewer compulsory books in schools from 2026

The draft amendments prepared by the Institute of Education and Training (IBE) will be submitted to the Ministry of National Education in September of this year, and the full version of the core curriculum will be published after public hearings. The new regulations will take effect on September 1, 2026, for fourth-grade primary school students.

The Ministry of National Education denies reports regarding the "Reform of the 26th Compass of Tomorrow" and the reading list

The Ministry of National Education strongly denies false information regarding work on core curricula as part of the so-called "26th Compass of Tomorrow Reform." The Ministry emphasizes that it is not currently working on changes to the core curricula – it is awaiting proposals developed by experts transparently employed by the Educational Research Institute (IBE PIB).

It is not true that the experts' proposals call for the elimination of mandatory school reading or the complete abolition of the required reading list – including the canon of Polish literature in grades 4-6 and 7-8. Already at this stage of the work, IBE PIB experts point to the need to maintain mandatory readings, including excerpts from the Bible, selected Greek myths, and at least four longer books to be read by each grade in grades 4-6 of primary school. Classic works of Polish literature also remain among the required readings.

According to the initial proposals, teachers in grades IV–VI would be given greater autonomy in selecting reading material, choosing it from a wide list of works of Polish and world literature – something that the teaching community has long advocated for.

The finalized core curriculum proposals will be reviewed by scientists and practitioners and then submitted to the Ministry of National Education. The Ministry plans to launch public consultations at the turn of September and October.