Awards to the best secondary comprehensive and vocational schools in the Silesian Voivodeship
Pupils, teachers, and principals of the best secondary schools in the Silesian Voivodeship visited the Silesian University of Technology on February 12, 2025. Our university hosted the Gala of the Silesian Ranking of Secondary Comprehensive and Vocational Schools “Perspektywy 2025”.
The ranking has been prepared by the Perspektywy Foundation for 27 years on the basis of specific criteria.
It is a brand that influences the choices of young people. The ranking was created thanks to my daughter, who was faced with the choice of school and then, following the example of American rankings, I decided to prepare such a ranking in Poland. The idea worked well, because my daughter is doing well after years of choosing a good education path – said Waldemar Siwiński, President of the Perspektywy Foundation. - Ranking is a map of opportunities that await a primary school graduate. Organizes knowledge about secondary comprehensive and vocational schools in a given region. This does not mean that everyone should go to the best school but choose the one that best fits their capabilities and plans for the future.
The importance of the ranking was emphasized by His Magnificence Rector of the Silesian University of Technology, Prof. Dr Hab. Eng. Marek Pawełczyk.
- It should be emphasized that the rankings may not cover all aspects of the work of pupils and teachers, but from year to year the Perspektywy Foundation improves the evaluation criteria, consults the results with the jury, builds certain standards and has been building the prestige of the ranking for many years - said the Rector.
Addressing the representatives of secondary schools present in the hall of the Silesian University of Technology, he pointed out that he would like graduates of awarded secondary comprehensive and vocational schools, talented young people to choose education in universities of the Silesian Voivodeship for further development.
"We care about the development of the region, and for this to happen, we need young, educated people who will gain valuable education here, and then feed the market and will have a real impact on the future of the region. They will want to live, work, and start families here. Today we are changing our thinking as a university. We adapt the offer of education to the current needs of a young person – we focus on project-oriented education, the choice of specialization, on individualization of educational paths – added Professor Pawełczyk.
Conclusions from the ranking are also drawn by local government officials who support the development of education in secondary schools in the region. The authorities present at the Gala proudly represented the cities in which the best schools are located, among others Bielsko-Biała, Katowice and Sosnowiec.
Katarzyna Kuczyńska-Budka, Mayor of Gliwice, took the floor on behalf of all local government officials.
- The knowledge contained in the ranking allows us to bring out good practices that may lead to success in the form of good functioning and education of the school. In addition to young and talented people and excellent staff, external factors also influence this, and we would like to learn about them – said the Mayor of Gliwice. She added that she had already planned a meeting with representatives of the Perspektywy Foundation and representatives of the school board to find out why some schools were never on the ranking list, others fell, and still others have been successfully at the forefront for many years.
It is worth noting here that among the criteria that included the assessment of schools, the results of the Matura exam in compulsory subjects (30%), the results of the Matura in additional subjects (45%) and successes in the Olympics (25%) were taken into account. Once again, achievements in the International Olympic Games have also been included in this category.
Taking into account these criteria, 1430 secondary comprehensive schools across Poland were assessed. The winners of the Silesian Ranking were: The 3rd Adam Mickiewicz Secondary Comprehensive School in Katowice and the Secondary Vocational School nb 17, i.e. the Silesian Technical and Scientific Schools in Katowice.
The winners did not hide their pride in the result.
“This is a great honour for us, especially since we are back to the first place after a very long break. It is an appreciation of the efforts of our pupils and the entire staff, who put a lot of effort into achieving better and better learning outcomes. They are more and more willing to take part in the Olympics and they realize that technical education is again becoming very valuable on the labour market,” said Aneta Łosiewicz, Principal of Silesian Technical and Scientific Schools in Katowice. Pupils of this school often cooperate with the Silesian University of Technology and later continue their education within the walls of this university.
The joy was also not hidden by representatives of another school from Katowice - the Third Adam Mickiewicz Secondary Comprehensive School, which became the best secondary comprehensive school in the province.
- We are very happy, but we also mark and say it to our pupils who are worried about their Matura exam results, that they are supposed to try not because they go to the best school in the ranking and it obliges them, but because they fight to be able to get to their dream studies and fulfil their life plans - said Katarzyna Noworzyń, Principal of the winning secondary comprehensive school.
Congratulations to all the winners!
fot. Maciej Mutwil
