During a debate at the daily “Dziennik” the Ministers of National Education Katarzyna Hall and of Science and Higher Education Barbara Kudrycka said that subtitling, especially of English programming aired in Poland, would increase English proficiency in the country.
Merely one third of Poles have knowledge of English, making Poland linguistically inferior in comparison to other countries in the European Union. Minister Kudrycka said that knowledge of English is highest in countries which employ subtitling of English-language films in their respective television broadcasts.
The two ministers proposed that subtitling be introduced to public television, which should play a greater role in youth education. The fall of 2008 will see the first ever series of English shows being broadcast with Polish subtitles on TVP 2. Childrens' and youth programming, including cartoons, as well as nature shows will also begin to be aired without voice-over on Saturday afternoons.
According to a poll by TNS OBOP almost one third of Poles under the age of 29 would prefer subtitles.
Poland is one of the few countries in the world to employ a voice-over in television programming.

Source: Poland.pl