Record interest in digital education. Schools increasingly assess digital skills through IT Fitness Test
More than 45,000 students and teachers from across Poland have already taken part in this year’s edition of IT Fitness Test, the country’s largest digital skills assessment. This represents more than double the number of participants recorded at the same stage of the previous edition, reflecting the growing recognition among schools, local governments and educators of the importance of digital competencies for the future.
Although this year’s edition will continue until the end of October, organisers are already reporting record-breaking participation. By comparison, in previous editions the number of participants had not exceeded 20,000 by the end of the summer holidays. This year, the milestone of 45,000 participants was reached several months before the project concludes.
“We can clearly see that IT Fitness Test has become a permanent part of the school calendar for many educational institutions, while awareness of the importance of digital skills continues to grow. Just a few years ago, topics such as cybersecurity, critical thinking when evaluating information, and practical digital skills were discussed mainly among experts. Today, they are increasingly becoming part of everyday conversations in schools and local governments, which recognise that preparing young people for life in a digital world is one of the key challenges facing modern education,” said Michał Kanownik, President of the Digital Poland Association, the organiser of the project.
Growing support from local governments
The project is supported by Poland’s Ministry of Digital Affairs, Ministry of National Education, Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Ministry of Development and Technology, and NASK.
The record participation is driven not only by the growing number of schools joining the initiative, but also by the increasing involvement of local governments. This year, additional cities and regions have joined IT Fitness Test, including Legionowo, Otwock, Radom, and the Poznań Metropolis. For the first time in the project’s history, the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship has also become a partner.
“This demonstrates that digital skills are no longer viewed solely as the responsibility of schools or ICT teachers. More and more local governments understand that they are one of the foundations of social and economic development. Without digitally skilled young people, it will be difficult to build a competitive economy and respond effectively to the opportunities and challenges created by emerging technologies and artificial intelligence,” added Michał Kanownik.
“Digital skills are now an essential element of the development of young people and entire communities. Modern education cannot succeed without fostering these competencies. This is why the Poznań Metropolis has joined a project that brings together schools, teachers and local governments to help build the skills of the future,” said Anna Aleksandrzak, Director of the Poznań Metropolis Office.
Final results will be presented after the project ends
The growing number of participants is important not only for promoting digital education but also for the quality of the assessment itself. The broader the group of participants, the more accurate the picture of digital competencies among young people in Poland.
“For projects such as this, it is crucial to reach as broad a group of students and teachers as possible, rather than only those already interested in technology. This allows us to build a reliable picture of the actual level of digital skills in Poland. The findings provide valuable insights for experts, policymakers and educators when designing initiatives that support the development of future-ready skills,” explained Michał Kanownik.
The organisers emphasise that the current figures relate only to participation. The detailed results assessing the level of digital competencies will be published after the conclusion of this year’s edition. Experts will analyse the responses and prepare a comprehensive report summarising the digital skills of students and teachers in Poland, together with recommendations for the education system.
The IT Fitness Test remains open until 31 October. Every participant receives a personalised certificate confirming their score, while the highest-performing participants will have the opportunity to win attractive prizes funded by project partners: AMD, Dell Technologies, HP, iSpot, Lenovo and Samsung Electronics Polska. Awards will also be presented to schools achieving the highest participation rates and the best overall results.