Discrimination at work in Poland - teaching experience from the UK not taken into account?

A Polish and UK qualified teacher with years of experience in the UK does not have her years of teaching experience in the UK taken into account when working in Poland. Result: PLN 500 less every month. Obvious discrimination, sanctioned at Education Ministry level. All through Europe (except the British Isles) foreign teachers are discriminated against. Fair? NO! Freedom to work is denied throughout Europe except in the British Isles.

Yes, it's normal. If she wanted to get on the MEN work path, she should have completed it in the UK, for instance working at a Saturday school which was MEN approved.

For what it's worth, the UK doesn't recognise foreign experience in many cases, as it's entirely dependent on the decision of the headteacher. There's no possibility for the UK Education Ministry to say "actually, you're at M5" - the headteacher decides whether or not such a candidate gets it.

Still, this is why we seek deeper integration, so that we remove such barriers. But it's also worth bearing in mind that in Poland, the school director could offer her a higher salary if he wanted...

In the UK the schools are free to recognise years of work at foreign schools. It's good she has Polish teacher qualifications, because UK qualifications are not recognised in Poland. It's the same story across the EU - UK / Ireland play fair with teachers, the rest take the mick. Time for Europe to integrate with EU principles - English teachers in Italy took the Italian govt through the courts for 25 years and failed ...

However, the reality is that the majority of headteachers will recognise nothing but experience gained directly with the curriculum. Ania the diploma teacher from Poland is not going to get paid at the same level as Sarah even if they have identical experience, for instance.


Untrue. Poland recognises anyone qualified in the UK as being qualified in Poland without fuss.


Were they genuinely equal?

It's quite common for UK-qualified teachers to be underqualified by European standards, particularly in Bavaria and Finland.

That's only in theory, Delphi. The education ministry will endorse your qualifications and in theory you should work
in both public and private schools who might need your services. If you are coming to teach English it's normally the case but other

subjects it's totally different. Your qualifications might be recognised at ministry level but not many headteachers will employ you.
A dear friend who came over, and has UK qualifications, was told by many headteachers that for her to teach English they
needed her to have Polish qualifications as well. This is the case in most Podstawowy and Gimnazjum schools.
She was later employed by a Liceum school, for one year, and told by the headteacher that for her to get the best contract
with a better salary she needed to get a Polish qualification. She was also told to improve her Polish
as it is needed to communicate with the headteacher and staff- most who speak only Polish.
She is now training for the Polish qualification.

That's a whole different kettle of fish though - I would be reluctant to hire someone who didn't have any knowledge or experience of the Polish system, too. A lot of things are really different, not just the methods of teaching. Some "best practices" here would be deeply frowned upon by UK-qualified teachers, for instance.

She should have got it in writing and then kicked up an almighty fuss. But I suspect that he/she might have been alluding to the "work path" rather than the actual teaching qualification. Once she finishes the probationary year, she would have the "contract" title and no-one would question her. I've gone through it myself, so I know there's no barrier - the only issue is that the documentation at higher levels can be a problem if it's only in English.


This much is absolutely true, but it's the same everywhere. Germany won't touch you without at least B2 German, for instance.

"That's a whole different kettle of fish though - I would be reluctant to hire someone who didn't have any knowledge or experience of the Polish system, too."

because they're communism ******** country backwards. why cant you admit its. a backward third world eat euro country?

" She should have got it in writing and then kicked up an almighty fuss"

you wound like w retard pollack here. how fo u kick up a fuss in a communism country retard?

" I would be reluctant to hire someone who didn't have any knowledge or experience of the Polish system, too. "

and i would be doing same **** banderas followers did too in their situation at the time...