On June 3rd, a conference marking the conclusion of the “European Solutions for Quality Assurance—ESQA” project, implemented by the Cooperation Fund Foundation as part of the Erasmus Plus program, was held at the Polish Teachers’ Union headquarters in Warsaw. The conference brought together approximately 130 representatives from vocational schools, education boards, governing bodies, social partners, and institutions involved in quality assurance, such as the Ministry of National Education, Koweziu, ORE, and others. The conference consisted of two parts. In the first, substantive part, participants learned about the project’s results and the project team’s reflections on quality in education and what constitutes good practice. The second part featured the awards ceremony for the first edition of the “Highest Quality Vocational School” competition, organized by the Cooperation Fund Foundation and the Education Board in Warsaw. The competition aimed to promote activities – good practices – undertaken to ensure high-quality education by vocational schools. During the awards ceremony, over 50 vocational schools from across Poland received diplomas with the title of “Highest Quality Vocational School” from Agnieszka Luck, head of the “European Solutions in Quality Assurance” project, and Aurelia Michałowska, Mazovian Education Board. In addition, 13 finalists received statuettes, and five of them received awards and distinctions. The winners of the 2016 “Highest Quality Vocational School” competition are as follows:
Three equal main prizes, consisting of laptops for schools, were awarded to:
Z. Klemensiewicz Printing and Media School Complex in Kraków for the “School Printing Company” internship;
Centre for Vocational and Continuing Education in Strzelce Opolskie for the “Strategy of the CKZiU in Strzelce Opolskie as a basis for school development planning” internship;
Phototechnical School Complex in Warsaw for the “Your Future is Shaped Today” internship;
Honorable Mentions, consisting of tablets for schools, were awarded to:
Technical School No. 3 and ZSZ No. 3 named after D. Siedzikówna “Inka” at the Food Industry School Complex in Kielce for the “Human Library/Living Library Kielce” project;
Secondary School Complex named after S. Staszica in Kłanin for the practice “Vocational practice of students as part of the project “Mediterranean diet on the fork of students of the Primary School Complex in Kłanin” – financed by the PO WER program”.
