Poland’s rightwing opposition criticises Tusk’s education shake-up

Donald Tusk’s newly elected coalition government is seeking to make its mark after eight years of the Law and Justice party. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images

Poland’s new government is seeking to slim down the material taught in schools by about 20%, saying a cramming of the curriculum under the previous rightwing populist administration has left teachers and students exhausted.

Speaking during a school visit in the Silesian town of Mysłowice over the weekend, the education minister, Barbara Nowacka, said she was consulting experts on how to narrow down the curriculum, which will come into force in secondary schools after the summer break, from 1 September.