Educational patterns – tradition and innovation Comenius Partnership – Education - a journey in time Models of education – a historical overview The figure.

Educational patterns

– tradition and innovation

Comenius Partnership – Education - a journey in time

Models of education – a historical overview

The figure of a teacherInnovation – the presence and the future

The Middle AgesMediaeval schools

The mediaeval education was organized mainly at church schools, supervised by the clergy. At the age of 7, boys were sent to a convent school, where they were educated to become monks. The main subjects taught at such schools were: Latin – reading and writing, arithmetic, grammar and singing classes. Corporal punishment was a common tool to maintain discipline and „motivate” the students to learn. Teachers were strict and demanding. Children learnt everything by heart.

Parish schoolsThose schools were supervised by the parish priests. The main focus was on a religious upbringing. They aimed at teaching reading and writing. Boys and girls were taught separately.

Mediaeval schools aimed at developing an educated but modest, devoted and ascetic monk. Such ideals were depicted in hagiographies.

ApprenticeshipBoys with good manners and skills could serve an apprenticeship for 3-4 years to became a qualified master.

Such an apprentice was taught not only practical skills but also proper behaviour which make him a useful citizen.

Mediaeval ideals

In the 12th century the first town schools came to existence. Merchants’ children attending those schools were taught the principles of accountancy, law and trading. Those schools aimed at developing an aware, educated merchant.

RenaissanceEducation

The 16th century brought a great development of educational system. Children of all social classes had access to education. Renaissance ideas

of education and upbringing were based on humanism and stood in opposition to the mediaeval, religious model of education. Great importance was attached to foreign languages and physical education. Schools offered

a vast range of subjects and replaced corporal punishment with positive reinforcement. Renaissance model of education tried to develop students’ capacities as fully as possible. The most popular types of schools were:

Arian schools – very modern schools, run by Arians and aiming at spreading Polish language. They translated theological books and prepared their own curricula, handbooks and regulations. Arians wanted to develop

an educated and tolerant citizen who does not approve of war and death penalty. Their principles were moral behaviour and brotherhood of all the people.

Renaissance manspeaks several languages

plays musical instruments

writes poetry

possesses extensive knowledge

has good manners

knows national tradition

lives in harmony with the world of nature

Jesuit schools – focused on teaching Latin, Greek, theory of poetry and pronunciation, mathematics and physics. Students learnt mainly during comprehensive lectures.

Lutheran schools – gymnasia which prepared students for tertiary education. They focused on teaching mathematics, law, theology, medicine and philosophy.

Ideals of a citizen and a landlord

The ideal of a citizen is depicted in many pieces of literature of the 16th century. A perfect citizen is:

• a just and tolerant person who respects all the people• a well-educated and well-mannered man• a great patriot who cares about the situation of his country

Such an ideal was popularized in Rej’s and Kochanowski’s literary works. Those poets also presented the figures of the Polish landowners – ambitious and honourable patriots with optimistic views. Landowners lived decent lives in harmony with the rhythm of nature in the Polish countryside. Both poets popularised the Polish language.

BaroqueThe 17th century is the period of references to the Middle Ages and God.

Jesuit colleges, known in Renaissance as modern institutions, propagating education, still exist but they are criticized for creating index of forbidden

books and destroying all the achievements of the previous epoch. Baroque educational system focused on teaching languages, history, mathematics and religion. Students were taught how to prepare and deliver a political or

religious speech.

Ideal of the 17th century noblemanIn the 17th century, the most common pattern of behaviour was that of a Sarmatian (the alleged ancestors of the Polish nobility). Parents and

teachers were trying to inculcate young boys the principles of good manners, patriotic attitude and respect for tradition.

Qualities of a model nobleman honour pride tolerance honesty devotion to one’s country hospitality bravery knowledge of law religiousness being faithful to tradition

A model representative of such a nobleman can be a Polish moralist, poet and a writer – Wacław Potocki.

The Age of Enlightenment The Age of Reason (18th century) initiated a great development of Polish

schools and academies. The central educational authority belonged to the Commission of National Education - the first Ministry of Education,

which reorganized Polish educational system, created new syllabi, published handbooks and reformed the Cracow Academy.

Important changes in the model of education

• Education was secular• Latin was replaced with Polish• Demonstrative method of teaching was introduced• Focus on didacticism and utilitarianism• Introduction of the first school Code of behaviour• Teacher trainings in lay teachers' seminaries

Pedagogy in the EnlightenmentTeachers of the 18th century were propagating:

patriotic and moral attitudes

tolerant and unbiased behaviour

reasonable thinking

significance of education

democracy and justice

Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski – a key representative of the Polish Enlightenment presents the figure of a teacher in his literary work „On the Improvement of Commonwealth.” He stresses the teachers’ worth and significance. His words of advice refer to the need of hard work and teaching morality, patriotism and objectivism.

Didacticism and moralism of the Enlightenment

Fables and satires of Ignacy Krasicki had a moralistic function. Theycriticised some types of behaviour and induced people to change their habits. Krasicki ridicules people’s faults and shows the real moral patterns.

Fables – didactic stories which use animals to depict people’s personality traits such as: greed, vanity, hypocrisy or pride.

Satires - trenchant observations of the world and human nature, commenting upon the political or social life.

18th century patterns referred to the ancient ideals and philosophies praising honesty and reason. Education of the Enlightenment involved not only schooling but also the whole of literary works and trends of the Age of Reason. The common aim was to educate all the social classes.

The 19th centuryAs a result of 3 partitions at the end of the 18th century, the territory of

Poland was divided into 3 partitioners: Russian, Austrian and Prussian. For almost 123 years of captivity (until 1918), occupiers were trying to destroy Polish culture and tradition and eliminate Polish language from schools and offices. Many schools were closed and Polish society was kept under surveillance. Illiteracy amounted to over 60% of the society. Children were taught in Russian or German and the subjects of history and geography were removed from schools. A famous protest took place in Września where children refused to learn religion and pray in German.

The only possibility to defend the Polish education and tradition was to organize the underground education. Polish activists prepared lectures and set up interest groups so as to maintain the Polish language, national awareness and propagate patriotic attitudes.

Images of school and teachers in Polish literature

of the 19th centuryJuliusz Słowacki – the main representative of the Polish Romanticism, author of patriotic poems and dramas. He stresses the need to maintain the Polish language and educate children despite the political situation. He encourages to fight for independence.

Stefan Żeromski – in his "Labours of Sisyphus" he describes his experiences of living under the Russian rule. He depicts a portrait of his school and its students and their attempts to resist the policy of Russification. The book shows the partitioner’s failure to indoctrinate the students. Secret teaching was the only opportunity to keep Polish tradition and language alive.

After the First World War

In 1918 a few Education Acts were implemented in an independent Poland but the complete reform of the educational system took place in 1932 (structure and programme). The most important changes were:

• compulsory education• Primary School free of charge

• uniform general schools programme

National trend in education aimed at developing patriotic and religious attitudes. The main idea

was to combine didactic work with making young people aware of their civic duties. Polish

education between 1918-1939 focused on preparing the youth to work in the line of duty and build a strong state. Strengthening the sense of

national identity was the major aim of the educational programme of that time.

War period

During the Second World War, most schools were closed.On the territories incorporated into the Reich, education in Polish was

banned and punished with death. However, Polish activists revived the underground education. They organized a net of secret high schools,

universities and courses of Polish language, history and geography. Under the Soviet occupation, schools were reorganized – Polish teachers

were replaced with the Russian ones and the educational programme focused on inculcating communist ideologies and russification of the

Poles. Various documents – literary works and diaries show the reality of the war time. Białoszewski, Szczypiorski or Baczyński are just several

names of writers who described their war experiences, showing us attitudes of patriotism and devotion. Literature of that period presents a

lot of patterns and ideals. Its aim was to spur people on to fight for freedom and dignity.

Janusz KorczakA Polish-Jewish pediatrician and child pedagogue; he

spent many years working in an orphanage even when the organisation was sent to extermination camps. The orphanage community he created was governed by the

children and for the children. He was a model teacher who introduced the new approach to education and upbringing.

Korczak’s guiding principles: every child is unique and deserves appreciation and respect

children can be taught to engage in respectful and caring relationships with each other children’s rights must be respected there must be a partnership between a child and a tutor children should be provided with a positive educational atmosphere and proper conditions to learn

• a holistic system of education, with co-operation school-family-social institutions• children’s self-government and establishment of rules to be followed by both staff and the students• positive reinforcement instead of punishment• self-improvement and development of children’s interests and talents• a child’s autonomy

Korczak can be a pattern to follow by all the teachers and parents. His approach to education proved to be successful –

experiences and ideas tested in the Orphans’ Home were transferred to schools and

extracurricular educational institutions. His views were further developed by many other

pedagogues.

Korczak’s model of education assumed:

Waldorf education

a humanistic approach to pedagogy, based on the ideas of Rudolf Steiner. It emphasizes the

role of imagination and aims at developing students’ creativity

through artistic activities (drawing, music) and practical works

(gardening). In Waldorf schools, there are no handbooks and marks

and the focus is on integrational education. Children learn by using

senses and feelings. In Poland there are a few private Waldorf

schools which teach according to Steiner’s guidelines.

Montessori method

an educating approach to children’s development based

on the following concepts:• freedom allows children for

self-directed learning • teacher is a guide and an

observer • children develop through

spontaneous experiences on the environment

• unique educational aids• optimal conditions, no

punishments.In Poland, Montessori method is

used in some private Primary Schools and Kindergartens.

Post-war period

Socialist schoolsAfter World War II, the aim of schools was to educate the generation of builders of the socialist homeland. A few reforms brought popularization of 7-year Primary School, wide access to schools and adjustment of school programmes to the state’s needs. Technical education became the most needed and important type of training.

Socialist RealismCommunist government developed a new kind of writers – social activists, writing novels about factory work, promoting socialism and praising Soviet policy. Propagandist creative activity presented anti-capitalist views and showed heroes devoted to socialist party. Such patterns were promoted up to the 80’, although there were lots of voices of criticism among some literary circles.

The presence and the future

The European Union defined a few common goals for the member states. European Union’s education policy is reflected in Polish educational system as well. The educational priorities of the European Union are:

providing access to lifelong learning improving the quality and efficiency of education promoting equity, social cohesion and active citizenship enhancing creativity and innovation

After the changes of 1989 Polish education – free from the Soviet regime – started to develop intensely and take Western Europe

countries as models. Deep changes and reforms led Poland to the European Union, bringing a new model of education, upbringing and

new patterns.

The European Union’s model of education is based on the following principles:

teaching respect, openness and tolerancetoward other cultures

improving students’ language skills developing people’s civil awareness

teaching young people how to gain knowledge, skills and qualifications and how to cooperate within a group

All the member states fulfil the EU education policy by changing curricula, handbooks and participating in various Union programmes such as e.g. Comenius within LLP. Thanks to these projects, students gain new experience and develop their cultural awareness by working in international teams.

E-learnin

gelectronically supported learning and teaching; computer and network-enabled transfer of knowledge is possible thanks to e-learning

applications and the Internet. It’s a perfect tool for distance learning and on-line training. Quick development in internet and multimedia

technologies support e-learning industry and help millions of people gain knowledge via Internet.

In Poland e-learning is still not so popular due to high costs of its implementation and lack of rules and regulations. A few high schools

and universities offer e-learning courses but companies still prefer traditional trainings.

According to some enthusiasts, e-learning may become a new model of education in the nearest future.

School of the future open to innovations

providing optimal conditions to gain knowledge and practical skills with well-equipped classrooms safe and student-friendly with sports and leisure centre equipped with modern digital technology

Teachers and studentsAssistants, enthusiastic

inspirers,advisers, cooperating with

other teachers and parents, classroom

supporters and facilitators, managers and guides.

Autonomous learners,willing to cooperate,

having practical skills, prepared to live in a community, users of modern technology,

ready to enter the labour market

Webgraphy:

‘An education is the investment

with the greatest returns’

(Benjamin Franklin)

1. Wikipedia – The Free Encyclopedia http://pl.wikipedia.org

2. „Organisation of the education system in Poland 2009/10,” EURYDICE publications

http://eurydice.org.pl/files/Eurybase_EN.pdf

3. „A Pedagogy of Stewardship: The Inspiration of Janusz Korczak,” Kristin Poppo, http://www.newhorizons.org

4. Januszewska, E., „Europejski model edukacji,” Forum Nauczycieli, Vol. 1/2001