May, one of the most beautiful months of the year, begins with chestnut trees coming into bloom and the matura examinations starting in secondary schools. For school-leavers, this is a difficult examination. They have been preparing for it throughout their time at school. The matura examination today differs from the one taken years ago.
Under the regulations currently in force (Regulation of the Ministry of National Education of 31 November 1991), the maturity examination is a form of a commission-based assessment of the general education level of secondary-school graduates. It consists of written and oral parts. The written examination covers two subjects: Polish in all types of schools, and a second subject depending on the type of school. In general secondary schools, this may be history, biology, mathematics, a modern foreign language or Latin. In technical schools, school-leavers may choose between mathematics and history. The oral examination in general secondary schools covers three subjects: Polish, a modern foreign language and one of the following subjects chosen by the candidate: a second modern foreign language, Latin, Greek, history, geography, biology with hygiene and environmental protection, mathematics, physics or chemistry. In vocational schools, it covers two subjects: Polish and one of the following subjects chosen by the candidate: a modern foreign language, history, geography, biology, mathematics, physics or chemistry.
School-leavers who received passing grades in both subjects are admitted to the oral examination. If a candidate receives a failing grade in the second written subject, they have the right to take a remedial oral examination if, in the last two grades, they received final grades of at least good in that subject.
A graduate who received passing grades in both subjects in the written part but received a failing grade in one subject in the oral part has the right to retake the examination in that subject during the remedial session organised in the last week of August.
A graduate who did not sit the examination, interrupted it or received more than one failing grade may take the examination in subsequent examination sessions within two years. During a retake, the commission credits the written part if the candidate received passing grades in both subjects, as well as those oral subjects in which the candidate received grades of at least satisfactory. After two years, the graduate must take examinations in all written and oral subjects in accordance with the curricula in force.
The matura examinations will begin in all post-primary schools in our city on 9 May. I wish everyone taking the maturity examination, and especially the school-leavers of the Mechanical Technical School, success in passing the examination and achieving the highest grades.