Komisja Edukacji Narodowej. Mała reinterpretacja wielkiego mitu

Abstract

The myth of the Commission of National Education – the picture of the Commission created in the collective imagination of Poles – is different from many other Polish myths because it stems from positive experiences. The noble achievements of the first Ministry of Education in the world are well-known and widely appreciated. However, the author of the article proposes “a small reinterpretation of the great myth”. He does not do this to downgrade the myth (especially that many shortcomings have already been pointed by some of the members of the Commission) but to formulate a few thought-provoking questions that would induce to think about today’s methods of reforming the Polish schools. According to the author, a realistic evaluation of the unquestionably big achievements of the Commission could allow for better using experiences of the predecessors to avoid at least some of the mistakes (e.g. the lack of timely preparation of teachers for changes, the lack of new books that would really correspond with the reform, various apparent actions of the ministerial officials).