From September 1, 2025, preschools will be closed until 8:00 p.m. Teachers are outraged by the decision.
Sosnowiec will launch a pilot program in three city kindergartens , which will see them open until 8 p.m. Infor.pl explains that this is intended to address the needs of parents working shifts, single parents, or those without family support.
Damian Żurawski, chairman of the Education Committee at the Sosnowiec City Hall, announced the initiative. He also noted his hope that other cities will follow suit.
Not everyone, however, shares his optimism. Educators commenting on the solution have many reservations. Katarzyna, a preschool teacher quoted by Infor, shared her opinion and stated that "it is not consistent with the developmental needs of young children or with the idea of preschool education as a stage supporting children in their natural rhythm of life, learning, and rest."
" Kindergarten shouldn't replace home . Its role is to support a child's development, but not to replace the family in the day-to-day upbringing," she emphasizes.
He also points out that " extending kindergarten opening hours to 8 p.m. is a step towards institutionalizing childhood , which may negatively impact family relationships, children's social development and their mental health."
Instead of extending the opening hours of state kindergartens, the company advises looking for solutions that support parents in reconciling work and family life - such as flexible working hours, the possibility of remote work or the creation of emergency care points in exceptional situations.
Her colleague, Ms. Asia, also has concerns. She points out that the parents who most readily use such solutions aren't necessarily the ones who need them the most.
"I look at the situation from the perspective of a teacher who works at a school. I've been through the school after-school program more than once, and in my experience, children from families where the child is simply most welcome outside the home are stuck there until the very end," she laments. "I've often witnessed the tragedies of children who expected love and attention, but instead sat and waited for their mother, who "simply" arrived at the last minute, and often late because "there was traffic," and she took advantage of the time without the children to go shopping," she tells Infor.
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