GovTech Poland

The globally innovative formula of the subject is based on case studies, project work and the opportunity to benefit from the knowledge and experience of hundreds of Polish mentors and entrepreneurs who have volunteered to take part in lessons with young people. The new practical dimension of teaching is designed to help students acquire key competences: cooperation, communication and leading team projects. During the first business and management (called BIZ) lesson in the Ministry of Science and Higher Education (called MEIN) , Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak shared his own experience and passed on  a range of invaluable advice on how to run their own business and develop key skills. The talk was moderated by Justyna Orłowska, who is the initiator of introducing the subject to secondary schools.

First lesson

The Ministry of Education and Science and the GovTech Centre invite you to a special first BIZ lesson, of which the quest was by excellent manager, entrepreneur and mentor Steve Wozniak, the Silicon Valley giant and co-founder of Apple - one of the world's most recognisable technology companies. With the start of the 2023/2024 school year, the subject of business and management has been added  permanently to the timetable of 532,000 secondary school students nationwide.

Business and management is a new subject in secondary schools. We have been working on the form of this subject with the Ministry of Education and Science and the GovTech Centre for the past 1.5 years to shape it into a higher, practical level. A level that will make you [the students] have the desire after graduating from secondary school to start a business, to become managers or participants in various projects you’ll come up with. Every competency in the team is crucial, because each of you has their own  superpowers

- said GovTech head Justyna Orłowska.

More than 50 students from a Warsaw high school were given a unique opportunity and took part in a class where they heard an inspiring story based on the experience of an American engineer and IT entrepreneur.

When you have a business idea, you need to find people who are willing to do it with you and succeed. You can't do it alone. You need three elements to make a start-up successful, and rarely does one person have them - sometimes two, sometimes three: business verve, marketing skills, problem solving thinking. Three disciplines - business, marketing, engineering. They have to work closely together from the very beginning

- Steve Wozniak said to the students. 

Steve Wozniak is the co-founder of Apple, which has significantly shaped the technology industry with the creation of the Apple I, II and Macintosh personal computers. The world-famous engineer of Polish descent is also an accomplished speaker and philanthropist, who shared his experience gained from creating the giant company with students during his first BIZ MEiN lesson and stated his expert perspective on: life values, creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship and supporting STEM education.

Believe in yourself. Be confident in yourself. Believe that you are good and do the things you love to do. Follow your heart

- Wozniak urged on that upon young people.

The entire BIZ lesson featuring Steve Wozniak in video and podcast is available at www.gov.pl/biz.

Business and management

Within the business and management subject, secondary school students continue to learn about entrepreneurship, while developing practical skills related to management, personal finance and gaining knowledge of real economic phenomena.
The subject was developed in nearly two years of open dialogue with the school community: teachers, students and business, local entrepreneurs, NGOs and educators. 

An important element of the new programme is the emphasis on imparting practical knowledge and on preparing students in the best, possible way for active participation in economic and social life. In the basic programme, students learn about the functioning of the market economy, finance, the labor market and business. The educational content of the extended programme explores the issues of the basic programme.

In accordance with the provisions of the core curriculum, BIZ requires the use of modern teaching methods and educational materials with the use of new technologies and digital tools in the learning process. Recommended forms of work, methods and learning techniques include: teamwork, implementation of tasks using the project method, analysis of real experiences of Polish companies and elements of gamification.

The main objectives of the course include the development of competences of the future - the ability to cooperate, communicate, or a creative and innovative approach to problem solving. Learning methods including team projects, business case studies, simulations and study visits to local entrepreneurs allow students to gain practical experience and enable them to play  the role of future entrepreneurs.

Case study, mentor and entrepreneur database - recruitment is ongoing
High-quality education, focused on  the use of modern educational methods, is not possible without the support of entrepreneurs - business experts. The participation of mentors in business and management lessons is an opportunity for students to change their perspective, learn through experience and gain practical skills. To connect practitioners with the school community,  we have been creating a dedicated database since April, where people can still apply.

With the help of entrepreneurs, we are also steadily increasing the collection of case studies -  basis of students' work in the subject. Learning by analyzing real-life examples and finding innovative solutions to complex business problems is great for developing creativity and influencing out-of-the-box thinking.
Recruitment is still open - mentors and entrepreneurs are encouraged to apply and share their own experiences. Click here to apply: www.gov.pl/biz/baza-case-study-i-baza-mentorow.

Resources for teachers

Within the methodological support, a range of free materials have been made available for business and management teachers. They provide solid support for effective teaching of the new subject. The interactive form of the proposed content and its accessibility make entrepreneurship learning more attractive and help with keeping students engaged at a high level. The materials are available at www.gov.pl/biz and their database is constantly being expanded.
The website includes educational materials: lesson plans, exercise materials, project work tools, interactive  training for teachers with certificates and simulation aids. All materials are free  and will be continuously updated: www.gov.pl/biz/materialy-edukacyjne. 
Case study materials, real-life stories of Polish enterprises,  which are an introduction to each chapter of the core curriculum of the subject, have also been made available. Each example is accompanied by a short film, a lesson scenario and exercise material. All materials are available at: www.gov.pl/biz/studium-przypadku.

Full lesson