New school year: the work of the teacher

September is the return of children and teachers to school. The latter face new challenges at work and changes in the education system. What can teachers expect this year?

The 2026/2027 school year brings further changes to teachers regarding salaries, working hours and required qualifications. The rules related to the pensum and the catalog of subjects that can be taught by people with a certain education are also changing. We look at what the most important changes mean for teachers in practice.

Teacher salary and overtime — how much does the teacher work?

With the beginning of 2026, in connection with the budget law, the amount of teachers' salaries changed. Minimum basic wage rates increased by 3 per cent in relation to the rates applicable from 1 January 2025. An increase in the basic salary may also mean higher amounts of certain other components of remuneration, the amount of which depends on it. An example is seniority allowance (seniority allowance). It is calculated as a percentage of the basic salary, therefore, as the basic salary increases, its amount also increases.

In 2026 the basic amount for teachers is PLN 5597.86. However, it should be borne in mind that the amount of the basic salary depends, among others, on the degree of professional advancement and the level of education of the teacher. In the case of teachers with the required education, the minimum basic salary is correspondingly PLN 5308 gross for a beginner teacher, PLN 5469 gross for an appointed teacher and PLN 6397 gross for a certified teacher.

Allowances and additional remuneration

However, the teacher's salary is not limited to the basic salary. Depending on the position, length of service and duties performed, the teacher may also receive, among others:

allowance for years of service (seniority),
motivational allowance,
Functional Addition, for example, for acting as a class teacher or principal,
remuneration for overtime hours,
remuneration for the hours of part-time replacements.

Oversized hours: an important change from 2026

From January 1, 2026, there are also changes to the remuneration of teachers for unrealized oversized hours. If the teacher was ready to conduct classes, but the lesson was not held for reasons beyond his control, in situations specified by the regulations he retains the right to remuneration. This applies, for example, to situations in which individual classes were not held due to the absence of the student or the classes were canceled due to the departure of the class on a trip.

How much does the teacher really work? The myth of 18 hours of work

In the case of teachers' working time, there is often a perception that their work is limited to 18 hours per week. In fact, 18 hours does not mean the total amount of the teacher's working time. In accordance with Article 42 (1) and (2) Teacher Cards, the working time of a full-time teacher must not exceed 40 hours per week. As part of this time, the teacher carries out, among other things, didactic, educational and caring activities conducted directly with or on behalf of the students.

For many teachers, the weekly pensum is 18 hours, however, the size of the pensum may vary depending on the type of classes taught and the position. That is, 18 hours is only part of the weekly working time, and not all the time that the teacher should devote to the performance of his duties. The remaining working time includes, among others. preparing for classes, checking students' work, keeping records, participating in pedagogical councils, consultation with parents and students, cooperation with other teachers and specialists, implementation of the statutory tasks of the school and further education and professional development.

So, it is worth distinguishing between two issues: teacher's pension, that is, a certain number of hours of teaching, educational or care activities, and total weekly working time, which in the case of a full-time teacher is a maximum of 40 hours.

What qualifications must a teacher have in 2026?

In 2026, the regulations on the qualifications required of teachers also changed. The amendment of the regulation has expanded the catalog of persons entitled to teach certain subjects, in connection with the changes introduced in schools from the 2026/2027 school year. This includes new subjects such as nature, practical and technical activities and civic education, as well as health education and elective classes health education — sexual health.

Who can teach new subjects?

In practice, the new regulations allow teachers who are qualified to teach certain subjects to also conduct new classes:

Nature: teachers are qualified biology, geography, physics and chemistry.
Practical and technical classes: they can be led by, among others, teachers techniques.
Civic education: teachers are qualified knowledge of society and history.
Defence EducationQualifications will be given to teachers Education for safety. This course will replace safety education in primary school from the 2027/2028 school year.

Health education: who can teach it?

From the school year 2026/2027 health education is a compulsory subject. The directory of teachers authorized to conduct it has been expanded to include, among others, persons with teaching qualifications Education for safetyand in the future as well Defence Education.

Separate qualifications defined for the optional subject health education - sexual health. It can be conducted by, among others, qualified to teach health education, as well as teachers biology, nature, physical education and psychologists. Qualifications may also be given to people with medical education; doctors, dentists, pharmacists, nurses, midwives, laboratory diagnostics, physiotherapists and paramedics, among others, However, on condition that you have a pedagogical background. Qualifications can also be held by graduates of the majors public health, dietetics or human nutritionif they have pedagogical preparation.

The right to conduct these classes was also retained by teachers who, on the basis of previous regulations, were qualified to teach education for life in the family.

Changes to the Teacher's Card

The basic legal act regulating the professional status of teachers is Teacher Card - a law specific to the Labor Code. It lays down, inter alia, the rules for the establishment and change of employment relationship, promotion, remuneration, working time and leave, as well as disciplinary liability and specific rules for termination and termination of employment. One of the significant changes introduced in 2026 is modification of groups of teachers covered by the 18-hour pensum, specified in the table contained in Article 42 (3) of the Teacher's Charter. This change has entered into force September 1, 2026 As of that date, a separate mandate for the governing body to determine the pension of teachers of practical training of up to 20 hours per week has also been repealed.

In practice, this means that when organizing and accounting for teachers' working time in the 2026/2027 school year, it is necessary to take into account the rules in force in the period to which the calculation relates.

summary

The changes introduced in 2026 affect both the conditions of employment of teachers and the range of opportunities offered by work in education. For people already working in the profession, they mean new rules for organizing work, and for those who are just considering a teaching career - new opportunities resulting, among others, from the expansion of the catalog of qualifications.

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