Education sector improves debt balance, but families struggle with costs of children’s learning

The start of the new school year highlights a persistent imbalance between the financial situation of educational institutions and that of families. While the education sector has reduced its overall debt burden, household budgets remain under strain from rising costs of learning and extracurricular activities for children.

According to data from BIG InfoMonitor, outstanding debt in the education sector fell by nearly PLN 5 million year-on-year, reaching PLN 283 million at the end of June 2025. Only about 2% of schools and educational entities are classed as unreliable debtors, compared with 5% across the wider economy. Yet the picture is less positive in out-of-school education, which includes language schools, sports and arts programmes, and tutoring. In this segment, arrears rose by PLN 4.5 million over the past year to more than PLN 194 million, with 3,106 companies now facing repayment problems.

For families, the costs of supporting children’s education extend far beyond the September layette. Parents regularly pay for tutoring, additional classes, and school trips, but many households do not prioritise long-term saving for these expenses. A survey carried out for BIG InfoMonitor found that only 7% of respondents save specifically to support their children’s education, compared with 17% saving for leisure purposes and 15% for healthcare.

“The low tendency to save for children’s education stems from limited financial literacy, low household savings rates, and, in some cases, a belief that children should take responsibility for their own future,” said Dr. Waldemar Rogowski, chief analyst at BIG InfoMonitor. He noted that Poland’s savings rate of 9.8% is one of the lowest in the EU, roughly half the level in countries such as Germany or the Czech Republic.

Recent surveys show that during the last school year, one in three families reduced educational spending, often cutting back on extracurricular activities, tutoring, or school trips. While tutoring services benefited during the pandemic when remote learning reduced classroom effectiveness, higher operating costs have since put pressure on providers. Despite these changes, the long-term trend remains the same: parents are repeatedly required to increase their financial investment in their children’s education.