Establishing a System for Verifying Matriculation Exam in Polish Administrative Law: Selected Aspects

The secondary school leaving exam exists under various names and with varying characteristics across the globe. The Polish matriculation exam (“matura”) deserves special attention as it has assumed a new, external aspect since its overall reform in 2005. Unfortunately, the first years after the reform revealed a significant problem with its assessment: numerous cases of incorrectly graded papers have been reported which fueled large-scale social unrest as there was no procedure in place for appealing against the matura results. After more than ten years, the regulations were changed for the better, and a special body, the College of Examination Arbitration was installed. In this paper, I consider this historic development, and I offer a general treatment of its administrative and constitutional implications as to the educational rights and civic liberties within the Polish legal context.