Health Education Under Pressure: A Multi-Perspective Analysis of Implementation in Polish Schools

Background

In the 2025–26 school year, Health Education was introduced as a new subject in Polish primary schools, grades 4–8. Public health students conducted one of the first more comprehensive empirical studies on how this new subject is being implemented, understood, and contested in school practice.

Methods

The study included surveys of 79 teachers and 42 parents, individual interviews with 6 teachers and 2 parents, a focus group, 4 lesson-based ethnographic observations, media monitoring, simulation exercises on controversial topics, and a structured debriefing procedure. This mixed-method design enabled AI-supported integration of social research data. The orchestration methodology used an LLM-based Delphi process in which medical, educational, ethical, and social actors independently analyzed raw materials and preliminary interpretations, then reached consensus on practical recommendations to maximize participation in Health Education.

Results

We found insufficient systemic support for teachers in addressing psychological topics. Parental decisions were often shaped by group dynamics, particularly in relation to sexuality-related content; however, resistance appeared to be at least partly negotiable. Media discourse marginalized substantive health issues in favor of political and identity-based conflict. Results predict a re-emergence of coordinated anti-health disinformation campaigns around the September 2026 parental opt-out deadline, as observed in 2025, necessitating urgent anticipatory measures.

Conclusions

I Moving topics to optional formats that are: 1) most controversial for parents, such as sexual education, 2) difficult to teach, such as psychological topics; II Sustained expert support, especially from psychologists and trusted public health institutions, mainly in prevention of psychological disorders and STIs; III Stabilization of implementation conditions, including compulsory status of the core curriculum and improved scheduling.

Key messages

• Strengthening health education as a system-level public health priority is essential, as its current marginalisation in Poland undermines long-term health literacy and prevention outcomes.

• Participation in health education is shaped less by fixed parental attitudes and more by social dynamics and modifiable contextual factors, indicating significant potential for targeted interventions.