Problems arise when applicants need to get a grade in a subject that they did not take for the diploma.

Ms. A.B., who has an International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma, turned to the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights (HFHR) for help with her situation in the Polish education system.

A couple of years after her exams, she decided to apply for further studies. In the recruitment process she learned that she needs to have a grade in a subject that she did not take during the IB program, so she decided to take a standard Polish Matura exam at advanced level.

IB diplomas outside of law

According to the Law on Education System, graduates of secondary schools that have passed the Matura exam have the right to take any other chosen Matura exams in compliance with the regulations that apply at the time of taking a repeated exam.

In the case of AB, however, both the regional and central examination committees decided that these rules don't apply to persons with an IB diploma.

Entrance Exam?

"The problem is that those people who have an IB diploma cannot take part in the recruitment process by taking entrance exams in a chosen subject that they did not pursue during their IB program," said Katarzyna Wiśniewska, a lawyer at the HFHR.

A university has the right to organize additional entrance exams only when it is necessary to examine special sets of skills, like artistic talent or physical condition, or any other area that are not examined by the Matura. Another exception is a situation when an applicant has a diploma received abroad.

The mode of IB does not allow students to take exams in other subjects without first taking a course for that subject in a school where the IB program can be executed. As a result, it is very difficult for those with an IB diploma to complement their certificate with a new subject. It involves a lot of paperwork, too.

Additionally, taking an IB exam means additional fees that depend on the price list by the International Baccalaureate Organization for a given year.

Constitutional standards

The constitutional right to education and the guarantee of equal access to education forbid Polish authorities from setting rules that discriminate against specific groups of people.

"On the one hand, the IB diploma is considered equal to Polish Matura in the recruitment process at universities, but on the other hand, IB graduates’ access to Polish universities is limited," said Katarzyna Wiśniewska.

"The prestige of International Baccalaureate, possibility of intensive education of the language and attempt at a new form of classes are the reasons that thousands of Polish people decided to learn according to IB program. It means that the potential number of those interested in this issue is quite big," added Michał Kopczyński, a lawyer at the HFHR.