but in Warsaw if you want to put your child into a good state school there is a selection process, because the schools want to maintain the high grades.
Same here. The problem is that the process is abused by the secondary schools, as part of the score is dependent on the grades from the 9th class. And of course, school directors in Poland (being fundamentally weak due to the nature of getting the job) can be influenced by parent pressure. It's just one small failing in the system, but there are many, many others.
If you are not a red stripe student, it is going to be difficult to get in a good school.
Of course, the age old tradition of a place being bought still goes on. I could tell you countless stories about schools being "full", only for some extra students to be admitted. Perhaps physical cash bribes aren't so common, but (referring back to above) - school directors are still open to pressure because they simply aren't professionally trained.
Most parents want to see their children going to a school with the IB program, so they have the option of a international university.
What stops them from going if they do the ordinary Matura? That's just snobbery, nothing more. Sure, the IB is more well known worldwide, but any university worth its salt will be happy to accept the Matura. Also - given the general quality of Polish teachers - I'd question the wisdom of attempting the IB in a state school. Don't forget (and Warsaw will be no different) - you can become a teacher of English with as little as a BA with the appropriate pedagogical training during the BA.
Regarding private schools the selection process is about if you can pay or not-but still the standards are getting better all the time.
There are still plenty of private schools out there where grades are handed out like sweets - and unfortunately, the shocking lack of care in the Polish education system means that no-one is actually auditing these grades.
Education in Poland is sadly a bit of a complete joke. There are of course exceptions, but the general quality leaves a lot to be desired.