The City Hall of Pszczyna has initiated the 'Educational Skills Marathon' program, financed through EU funds, aimed at enhancing and equalizing educational opportunities for school-aged and preschool children. The program includes supplementary and remedial classes, notably in language subjects. Recent performance metrics in Silesia province indicate that girls outperform boys, achieving higher scores on the eighth-grade exam—by nine points in Polish and one point in English—while their performance in mathematics is comparable. Nevertheless, the municipality has decided to offer an additional five points for girls in the qualification process, in contrast to the three points granted for disability.

Despite the slight demographic edge in favor of boys in the preschool and school age group within Pszczyna, parents of girls submitted approximately ten percent more applications for the program. This disparity has led to speculation that parents, perceiving unequal opportunities, chose not to apply on behalf of their sons. Consequently, 53 applications were rejected, with 49 of those being boys, prompting discussions about the underlying reasons for this significant gender-based application imbalance.

In defense of its controversial criteria, the municipality argues that their approach is backed by research and data suggesting the necessity of positive discrimination to level the educational playing field. This situation raises questions about the balance of equality initiatives and the potential for unintended consequences, as the emphasis on aiding girls may inadvertently result in systematic disadvantages for boys, leading to broader discussions on gender equity in education policies across Poland and beyond.