The Ministry of National Education (MEN) has announced a new, highly significant support project for Polish educational institutions called "Tomorrow's Compass Labs" (Pracownie Kompas Jutra). The program allocates PLN 200 million for equipping and upgrading school science laboratories as well as workshops for practical-technical classes.
These investments are closely linked to the upcoming Reform 26. Tomorrow's Compass will redefine how science and practical subjects are taught. The initiative aims to support the implementation of changes in the core curriculum and prepare institutions to conduct modern classes that develop the competences of the future.
For many local governments and school principals, this will be an opportunity to create a modern educational infrastructure, allowing classes to be conducted in a more practical, engaging way that aligns with the demands of the modern labor market.
What is the "Tomorrow's Compass Labs" program?
The "Tomorrow's Compass Labs" program is a government initiative to support the governing bodies of primary schools and public teacher training centers between 2026 and 2029.
Funding from the program is directly related to changes in the school timetable that will come into effect on September 1, 2026. It is then that a new core curriculum will be implemented in grades IV–VI of primary schools.
According to the new guidelines, the science subject will be taught for 3 hours a week in each of the specified grades (previously it was just 2 hours, exclusively in grade IV). The goal of this change is to integrate content from individual scientific disciplines into one logical whole, so that children can understand phenomena occurring in the world without breaking them down into separate subjects.
In turn, the current technology class will give way to new practical-technical classes, which will be implemented with an increased volume – 2 hours per week in each of grades IV-VI (a total of 6 hours at the second stage of education, instead of the current 3). They aim to develop practical manual skills, planning abilities, as well as soft skills such as teamwork and the division of tasks.
To make the implementation of the new core curriculum possible and ensure it is based on experiences, experiments, and research, schools must have the appropriate technical facilities. It is for this purpose that the Ministry of National Education, in cooperation with the Council of Ministers, has secured massive financial resources.
Financing rules in the "Tomorrow's Compass Labs" program
The total budget of the program is PLN 200 million from the state budget, which will be distributed evenly over the four years of the project's implementation (2026-2029). This means that every year, a pool of PLN 50 million will go to the entities running the schools.
The draft resolution and regulation (currently sent for inter-ministerial consultations) specifies clear rules for the allocation of these funds. The funding will cover up to 80% of the investment costs, and the school's governing bodies will be required to provide just a 20% own contribution (financial or in-kind). Specific institutions, such as art schools or juvenile detention centers, are exempt from the own contribution requirement.
Financial support is planned at a level of PLN 10,000 to PLN 30,000 for a single institution. Although the program is addressed to a wide catalog of entities (local government units, legal and natural persons), schools operating in municipalities with the lowest individual wealth index will benefit from the assistance first.
Who can apply for funds from the program?
Financial support does not go directly to school principals, but to their governing bodies. The program has been structured in such a way as to primarily eliminate educational disparities and support regions with lower financial capabilities.
Priority criteria and target groups:
- Less wealthy local governments: Funds will be directed primarily to primary schools operating in municipalities with the lowest individual wealth index.
- Primary schools (grades IV-VI): The project places particular emphasis on creating a teaching base for students beginning their education in science and technical subjects.
- Public Teacher Training Centers (PDN): The program recognizes the importance of preparing teaching staff. PDNs can also apply for funds to create model laboratories of their own. Thanks to this, teachers will be able to practice conducting experiments and construction tasks in a practical setting before presenting them to students.
What can be purchased under the funding?
The program has been designed to provide school principals with great flexibility. The starting point for purchases should be an internal gap analysis conducted at the school by the teachers running the classes.
The ministry of education has prepared sample equipment catalogs that specify what equipment and teaching aids qualify for purchase under the grant. The modern school is meant to move away from learning exclusively from textbooks towards active experimentation.
Science lab equipment
- Optical and research instruments: Digital and traditional microscopes along with ready-made slide sets, magnifying glasses, laboratory scales, pipettes, thermometers.
- 3D teaching aids and models: Induction globes, physical and political maps of Poland and the world, rock and mineral sets.
- Experiment kits: Packages for studying physical and chemical phenomena, including lens sets, magnets, or instruments for demonstrating the laws of mechanics.
- Meteorological stations: Small school weather stations for conducting daily observations of climate components.
Equipment for practical-technical workshops
The new subject aims to develop students' manual, technical, and engineering abilities. Purchases may include:
- Hand and processing tools (safe for students),
- Construction kits, assembly models, and electrical circuits,
- Materials and semi-finished products for DIY (Do It Yourself) projects.
Health and Safety (OSH) and work organization
The "Tomorrow's Compass Labs" program places an immense emphasis on safe working conditions during experiments. Funding also covers personal protective equipment and storage furniture:
- Lab coats and protective goggles for students and teachers,
- Wall-mounted first-aid kits and specialized eye-wash stations,
- Mobile carts and ergonomic bins to facilitate the safe storage and transport of equipment.
If teachers decide that equipment outside the sample lists is necessary for the full implementation of the new core curriculum within science and practical-technical classes, the governing body has the right to apply for funding for such teaching aids as well. The purchased aids will serve not only grades IV-VI, but will also be successfully used by the youngest students in grades I-III and by teachers of geography or chemistry, among others.
Maximum purchasing flexibility, or equipment from outside the official list
The creators of the "Tomorrow's Compass Labs" program understand perfectly that every educational institution has its own specificity, and educational needs may vary depending on the region or school profile. For this reason, the planned regulations introduce a very favorable and flexible procedure – primary schools do not have to limit themselves exclusively to a closed catalog of sample equipment. This means a real opportunity to apply for funding for the purchase of other teaching aids, tools, and modern devices not listed in the official compilations.
However, for the governing body to fund such non-standard purchases from the government grant, specific formal conditions must be met:
- A reliable analysis of needs: The first step is to thoroughly analyze the current state of the institution's equipment and identify real infrastructure gaps.
- Substantive justification by teachers: The educators running the classes must precisely demonstrate how the requested equipment will improve the quality of teaching.
- Compliance with the new core curriculum: The proposed aids must be closely linked to the goals of the program and the curriculum requirements for the new science and practical-technical classes.
Thanks to this solution, principals and teaching staff gain significant autonomy. This allows for the creation of personalized, modern laboratories that will be perfectly tailored to the local organizational conditions of the school and the actual needs of the students.
The fundamental role of Teacher Training Centers (PDN)
Infrastructure is just a tool – the key to the success of the reform is always the people. For this reason, the "Tomorrow's Compass Labs" program also covers public Teacher Training Centers (PDN) run by local government units.
These institutions play a priority role in creating a new quality of education. The grant funds will allow training rooms in PDNs to be equipped with the same educational devices that will go to primary schools. The goal is for teaching staff to learn how to use modern aids, conduct experiments, and organize project-based work under the guidance of methodologists in realistic and safe conditions, before these techniques are transferred to the school environment. As the Centre for Education Development (ORE) notes, investing in equipment for PDNs is essentially a guarantee of the success of the entire reform.
Tomorrow's Compass Labs and the digital transformation of education
A modern school is not just about equipping traditional laboratories. Digital solutions supporting school management, record-keeping, and the organization of the teaching process are also becoming increasingly important.
The Tomorrow's Compass program fits into a broader trend of modernizing Polish education, the goal of which is to create schools that prepare students to function in a world of new technologies, science, and innovation.
Investments in modern science and technical laboratories can become the foundation for the further development of STEM competences, project-based education, and the use of modern digital tools in teaching.
For local governments, school principals, and teacher training centers, this means a real opportunity to obtain funds for educational development, improve teaching quality, and build the competences of the future among the young generation.