Throughout the modern history of Poland, education has played a central role in Polish society. Together with the church, formal and informal education helped to preserve national identity and prepare society for future freedom during the partition time. In the communist era, education was the chief mode of restructuring society and improving the social mobility of hitherto unprivileged workers. The postcommunist era brought an considerable debate over the goals of restructuring the system and the role of the church in secular education.

Education in Poland is free and compulsory for all children between the ages of 7 and 15, although growing financial and space constraints sometimes require large classes and double shifts for students within the school day. On completion of the eight-year elementary school program, nearly all children enter the secondary school system. About one-fourth of these pupils attend four-year general secondary schools that prepare them for college or university entrance. The rest attend vocational and technical schools, which offer 5 year courses combining vocational and general education, or basic vocational schools, which offer three-year courses. There are also a number of private schools.