Kids will not have to go to school at six instead of seven years old after President Lech Kaczynski vetoed an amendment to the education law.

The president said that in his opinion the economic crisis is not the best time to reform the educational system in Poland. Adding an extra year to children’s schooling will be prohibitively expensive, he said.

The veto met with the wishes of the parents of the “Ratujmy maluchy” [“Rescue the little ones”] mpvement, who strongly opposed the idea of lowering the school age.

The governing coalition will need three-fifths of the votes in the parliament to overturn the veto and force the amendment through. The opposition Democratic Left Alliance has already declared that it will help the government to get the necessary majority. 

The bill, of passed again in parliament, could allow the first six-year-olds, with parents’ consent, to go to school this September. In three year’s time starting education at the age of six would be obligatory.  (jm/pg)