Volumen 38 (2018): Edición s1 (June 2018)

The article demonstrates in what way the popularity of the problems of regional studies influences the development of learning (including the history of education), local societies and, paradoxically, the evolution of global history. Additionally, the author of the article gives reasons, apart from globalization phenomena and the uniting of Europe, is the methodological “revolution” in the field of social sciences, which has significantly altrered the resarch perspective of historians.

This paper is to present the beginnings and the subsequent development and evolution of church law in the sphere of education from the 4^th to the beginning of the 16^th century. The roots of the acts of law presented by the Popes, synods and councils were based on the traditions of Roman law, but a variety of reasons from the field of policy, economy and society led to the need to establish a church school system. The aim of the Church was to create an independent school system with its own purposes, different from secular schools.

The aim of the paper is an analysis of a broadly understood legislation of general councils which took place in an important period for the development of the then educational system and culture – at the height of the Middle Ages (12th–13th c.). While analysing the written records of synodal and council acts, several interesting aspects can be considered: the regulations related to the education of clergy (the diocesan ones, as the same issues concerning monastic orders were regulated by the inner legislation of general chapters), the organization of schools and teaching programmes, the records telling about the moralizing influence on the community of the faithful, and finally, the attitude of the Church toward the question of general access to education, including the functioning of universities.

The presented study demonstrates a significant role of ecclesiastical school legislation for the development of the educational system in mediaeval Poland. Also, it can be noticed that all changes in this matter were the result of legislative activity of the Church but also responded to the educational needs of the contemporary society. The latter, in turn, stemmed from a general civilizational development of Latin Europe, the part of which were the lands being under the rule of the Piast dynasty.

The official reception of the conciliar legislation in medieval Poland was greatly influenced by the papal legates, ambassadors endowed with papal authority, who brought conciliar canons to the country ruled at the time by the Piasts and made them public at councils convened with the participation of papal legates, closely monitored the observance of Canon Law and its scope expansion, concurred statutes of Polish provincial and diocesan councils, approved or rejected nominations of bishops, etc. They also acted as intermediaries in personal interventions of popes in their involvement in the functioning of the Church in Poland. Their duties also included inspections in dioceses. Visits of papal legates in Poland were relatively frequent and their main goal was to enforce and implement ecclesiastical reforms in the country. In some instances, a strict relationship between a stay of a papal representative in Poland and the process of the creation and spread of schools is clearly observable. The article examines source accounts concerning the visits of papal legates in Poland, as well as analyses the available statues of legate councils in terms of the provisions included in them regarding education of representatives of the clergy and laymen alike.

Rhetoric was the most important subject of the Old Polish educational system, with its roots tracing back to the tradition of the Ancient Rome. The statement itself is crucial, due to the fact of the orator’s moral and patriotic duties. Therefore, the lectures were focused not only on the technical aspects of rhetoric, but also on morality, religion and political knowledge.

The article consists of two main sections. The first section is dedicated to describing the role of the rhetorical education, as well as, the evolution of the relation between rhetoric and history, which had existed from the 1^st century A.D. until the first decades of the 18^th century, when history began to separate from rhetoric.

The second section is dedicated to presenting the history education in practice, on the example of the Jesuit college in Poznań. The analysis of the matter is based on the script of rhetoric lectures given in Poznań in 1679. With regard to the aforementioned manuscript, one could say, that the most important task of history education, was the patriotic and civil upbringing of pupils, so that they could participate in political and cultural activities. History taught at the College in Poznań was mainly dedicated to Poland, and was of practical nature.

Among the numerous pieces of information pertaining to the social life of the population of the Kingdom of Poland and Galicia a number of notes and articles about the necessity to undertake the construction of schools were published. The authors would frequently mention the outrageous conditions in which children were forced to study, the lack of flats for teachers, and the failure to follow the rules of hygiene in schools. It was argued that combating illiteracy could bring positive results by securing the proper conditions for raising and educating all school-age children. Discussions in the press covered examples of local initiatives aimed at building schools, as well as ways of making the local communities of villages and towns more active.

At the end of the 18th century and during the partitions, the education of young females constituted a separate educational track. At elementary level, young females had access to regular schools. At secondary level, private and monastic schools dominated. The government’s first interference with the education of young females was, perhaps, the attempt by the Commission of National Education to establish a permanent supervision of certain female schools (under legislation from 1775).

The laws regarding education in each partition were not commensurate with the growing educational aspirations of women and the general socio-economic conditions. The Russian Partition was characterised by the dual existence of Polish private schools and governmental schools focused on the Russification of young Polish females. In Galicia, the most controversial issue was the creation of female secondary schools, the completion of which would enable a young woman to pursue university studies. Only during the Second Polish Republic did female education achieve equality before the law.

In the interwar period there was an intensive development of the theory and practice of pedagogy in Poland. At that time new schools and centers for children with disabilities were created, including for the deaf-mute. In 1921 the Pomeranian National Institute for the deaf and mute was established in Wejherowo. The paper presents the circumstances of the institution’s creation, its organization, rules of admission for pupils, curriculum and social life. Also provided is information on the authority of the Department and the teaching staff. In order to discuss these issues, source materials, stored in the Gdynia branch of the State Archive in Gdansk and held by the Educational-Instructional Centre for the Deaf Mute No. 2 in Wejherowo were used.

After the January Uprising in the Kingdom of Poland, across half of the following century, industrial development was mostly connected with social reforms. One tragic consequence of it was the increase in the number of children without parental protection, juvenile beggars, tramps, young criminals and prostitutes. During the last thirty years of the 19th century it became a priority in the Kingdom of Poland to pay attention to the education and protection of children and teenagers from the poorest families. Numerous innovative and educational concepts were formulated at that time; some of them were used in centres for socially maladjusted young people, for instance in Studzieniec, Mariańska Wilderness or Struga, in centres for young prostitutes. The activity of educational centres and societies which organised the protection of children (for example, The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children) was given as an example.

The history of development and modern forms of functioning of education for indigenous minorities in Alaska reveal trends which appeared in other areas of the Arctic. The systematic activity of education, along with the influence of other state institutions (military, offices), and also the often destructive influence of religious organizations contributed to irreversible changes in the ethnic awareness of indigenous communities. They have resulted in permanent changes in the ethnic identity of peoples inhabiting the Arctic for thousands of years. Initially, education was used by churches in the process of Christianization. Then, education was used to indoctrinate state ideologies (in particular national ones). And although currently various ethnic and national groups in the areas of the High North have opportunities in the sphere of using their own language and protecting their identity, the criteria for social promotion through the education system have remained unchanged. As a consequence, even representatives of large ethnic groups are determined – in their education and life choices.

Nowadays, the drama of indigenous minorities living in Alaska and other minorities in the polar regions continues, and we cannot expect it to end in a “constructive” manner. The dilemma of “preserving identity” in the conditions of a multi-ethnic society does not lose its focus. Individuals from indigenous communities usually have to choose between achieving educational and socio-professional success (as part of the dominant majority system) and the attachment to their traditional culture.

The paper presents how important for the history of Polish education were: Ogólnopolski Zjazd Oświatowy (the All-Poland Education Convention) in Warsaw (of April 1919) – called the Teachers’ Sejm, the 1^st Pedagogical Congress in Poznan and the 4th Pedagogical Congress in Warsaw (of May 1939). The aforementioned convention and both congresses played a significant role in the development of educational thought and practice in interwar Poland.

The scope of the issues discussed during sessions was large. It covered issues regarding the school system and the school administration, preschool upbringing and other levels of education including higher education, vocational schools, teachers’ education and teachers’ pragmatics, non-school education, school and physical education hygiene. Resolutions and motions adopted at Ogólnopolski Zjazd Oświatowy (All-Poland Education Convention) in Warsaw, in April 1919, provided grounds for work on developing a democratic national education system. The main issues of the Congress in Poznan, held on 8–10 July 1929 during the General National Exhibition in Poznan, were referred to also during sessions of consecutive pedagogical congresses organised by the Polish Teachers’ Union: 2^nd Pedagogical Congress (in Vilnius, on 4–8 July 1931) and 3^rd Pedagogical Congress (in Lvov on 17–21 June 1933).

Sessions of the aforementioned 4^th Pedagogical Congress in Warsaw were held in May 1939, in special circumstances, when a threat from Hitler’s Germany reached its apogee among the Polish society, including teachers. Resolutions of the 4^th Congress included the programme of democratic transformations of the national education system characterised in many aspects even with an explicit social radicalism. They provided broader access to the university education for the youth from farmers’ and workers’ families, develop special schooling and extend the school obligation for blind, deaf, mentally disabled and “morally neglected” children, develop adult education, implement education for primary school teachers only at a university level.

The turn of the 19th and 20th centuries brought an unprecedented number of youth organizations and movements in Galicia, which can be divided into three basic groups: the sports-tourism-gymnastic movement, the military movement and the ethical-revival movement. One of them was “Eleusis” movement initiated by Wincenty Lutosławski (1863–1954), a well-known philosopher, member of the Academy of Skills, and also the brother of Kazimierz Lutosławski, the legendary creator of the Scout Cross. “Eleusis” existed in the years 1903–1920, its aim was to prepare young Poles for the struggle for independence by educating their morals. “Eleusis” rejected violence and armed struggle. “Eleusis” was a strictly Catholic organization – a kind of secular order. However, it never received the official blessing of the Catholic Church.

Many Eleusis members later joined the ranks of the Polish scouts and it is thanks to the Eleusian spirit that Polish scouting has the rule of alcohol and tobacco abstinence in its Scouting Law. Whereas, the meaning and influence of scouts on Polish youth is undisputed today.

The article tells about historiography of a famous Polish school – Collegium Lubranscianum (English Lubrański Academy), which originated in 1519 and existed until 1780. The whole text divided into few groups, showing the position of Lubranscianum in the interpretations of historians and the lack of research allowing recognition of some aspects of Lubranscianum history, such as the educational process of young people in the school, including the methods and handbooks, or, in general, the history of the school in the seventieth and eighteenth century. It is stressed that only few works bring new knowledge into out problem and most of the historiography is based on previously published works.

Most of articles on patronage in Greater Poland from the 16th to the 18th century concerns a direct dependence between the patron and the client. Thus, the present work concentrates on a specific kind of patronage – scholarship foundations, which are only briefly mentioned in historiography. Some of them are not known. “Fundatio orzelkoviana” serves as an example here to show the need for detailed relevant case studies to supplement the available data. Founded by Marcin Orzeł in 1566, the foundation existed for many years and helped young people to achieve academic education. Ius patronatus and control of the foundation was assigned to the Catedral Chapter of Poznań. Admittedly, this Chapter was interested in keeping the foundation in good condition, e. g. by being aware of economic and financial factors influencing the foundation and by carrying out the recovery in debts, be it rents or fees. The source material for the present discussion comes from the Main Archive for Poznań Archdiocese (mainly the acts of the Cathedral Chapter of Poznań, Consistory Court and the canonical visitation of Bishop Tholibowski).

The article presents the life and educational activities of Blessed Marcelina Darowska, the co-founder of the Convent of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and her views on up-bringing of young women. Mother Marcelina’s perception of education of girls in the 19^th century seemed modern and beyond her time. In her opinion, there was a need of putting a stop to producing “parlour dolls” and provide young women with practical education. For the betterment of the country, she set up schools in Jazłowiec, Jarosław, Niżniów and Nowy Sącz. The girls attending the schools were brought up according to the system developed by Marcelina Darowska, based on religious and patriotic values. The Convent of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary continues the work commenced by its founder; over time Mother Marcelina’s message remains valid and serves the subsequent generations of young Polish girls.

Alcohol abuse among young people was a serious social problem in the interwar period. The aim of the article is to show how the Młody Hufiec magazine attempted to oppose the commonly accepted drunkenness of youth in Poland. The article describes actions undertaken in order to combat alcoholism and promote abstinence among youth, published by the magazine in 1927–1939.

The renascent Polish state was being built in the interwar period (1918–1939), developing its position on all possible levels in the international arena. One of these was education and culture. Poland signed a lot of international agreements in this field. This was connected with visits by our ministerial representatives to other countries and with arranging visits in Poland for guests from different countries. In 1935, three ministers of education from abroad visited Poland: Todor Radev (Bulgaria), Artur Engberg (Sweden) and Bálaint Hóman (Hungary). The purpose of the visit of the first two ministers was the signing of the Polish-Bulgarian and Polish-Swedish cultural agreements. The Hungarian minister of education came to Poland to assess the implementation of the agreement which had been signed between Poland and Hungary a year before.

While staying in Poland, beside official meetings with the President and the Ministers of education and foreign affairs, our guests visited various educational institutions in cities such as Warsaw, Krakow, Poznań or Vilnius. The press took a lively interest in those visits, reporting them on an ongoing basis. Apart from news reports, also editorials and even articles were published. These were devoted to some of the educational and cultural issues of our guests’ countries.

The article concerns the field of social care and social assistance in the first years of the Polish People’s Republic as they were provided to individuals who suffered distress during World War Two. The timeline of the paper covers the period from 1944 to 1948. At that time, the focus of social care and social assistance was satisfying the fundamental needs of the people, in particular in environments affected by the destruction of war. It included, among others, ensuring food, health care, accommodation, education and employment. The scale of the relief provided after the war by various Polish and international institutions was unprecedented in the history of the Polish social service, covering one in four Poles, i.e. over 6 million people in total.

A new form of government of the Polish state was combined with its rather intensive influence on the character of the educational system, including general secondary schools. That time is distinguished by numerous controversies, which then appeared in various social circles, political parties, and referred to the constitutional and organizational structure as well as the program structure of this school level. In the first years the controversies were more of an evolutionary concepts for the Polish route to socialism were still possible. After 1948 there was no more room for discussion; the decisions about this sphere were also made by one group – the people related to the communist party (Pol. abbr. PZPR).

Already right after the cessation of war activities, the tendencies leading to the centralization of education management were noticeable, and consequently, ever more intense influence of the government of the working classes (lub the people’s government) on the functioning of schools, but, above all, on the teaching content. The process of centralization was linked with the so-called democratization process of school i.e., the question, of which the ruling communists made their priority. A consequence of democratization of the general secondary school and rendering it a tool for the manufacture of future citizens – devoted to and subjected to the government of the working classes – was the aspiration for closing private general secondary school, and also the expulsion of religion from school. Such changes, falsely justified by the necessity to observe the principle of freedom of conscience and confession, led to the secularization of the school system. The discussed expulsion of the Church from schools, and at the same time from the sphere of educating a young generation, was supposed to serve the formation of a new socialist society in the future.

The situation of the Republic of Poland, which was revived in 1918, in the educational field was dramatically difficult. As a consequence of partitions, the Second Republic of Poland inherited a relatively high rate of analphabetism (over 6.5 million analphabets, which constituted approximately 33% of the entire population of the country older than 10 years). As a result of individual differences in the economic, political, social and legals systems of the states occupying Poland, the educational system on the Polish territories at the threshold of independence was largely different with regard to the number of schools, the organization, program and didactic assumptions. The reborn Polish state was confronted with an important task of unifying the system and the level of education. It must be emphasised that this task was actually accomplished. In this the Sejm on March 11, 1932 (the act conclusively dissolved the remains of the educational legislation of the states which partitioned Poland).

In the interwar Poland, not only the school system but also the so-called extraschool education developed. The period of the Second Republic of Poland was also the time of explosion of pedagogic thought. The most important theoretical trends in the educational sciences emerged at that time, primarily: “psychological pedagogy and the related great movement of New Education (progressive education)”, “sociological pedagogics (social pedagogy)”, “cultural pedagogy (humanistic, person-alistic pedagogy)”.

A special object of reflection on the education in the Second Republic of Poland and of controversy in the pedagogics of the twenty years between the First and the Second World War in Poland was the question of educational aims. In the period until 1926 the dominant trend influencing the educational practice to the largest extent was the so-called patriotic education, whereas in the subsequent years citizenship education prevailed.

The purpose of this paper is to present the role of Charlemagne (768−814), King of the Franks and Emperor of the Romans (from 800) in the process of recovering the school organisation that was considerably weakened in the period from the 5th to the 7th century as well as the participation of the ruler in the reforms of education, science and the school system, referred to as the Carolingian Renaissance. In his reforms of the legal system, the monetary system, administration and education, Charles consistently implemented the political program announced in the Act of 789.

The emperor’s actions reveal a clearly utilitarian goal. The command of Latin and the introduction of readable writing enabled the clergy to better understand the words of the Holy Scripture and, in turn, increased the general level of religious education among believers. The numerous scriptoria across the empire contributed to the ongoing work on defining the uniform text of all the books. The rebirth of Latin was driven by the works of the late Roman grammarians, Donatus and Priscian, and many works by ancient authors were also copied in scriptoria.

Article presents achievements of three French historians: Marc Bloch (1886–1944), Philipp Ariès (1914–1984) and Jacques le Goff (1924–2014). They were founders and leaders of Annales school in historiography. Marc Bloch was fascinated by the history of the Middle Ages, especially the history of the French countryside and feudalism, as well as the social history of medieval France. Philippe Ariès was also passionate about the history of the Middle Ages, but unlike Bloch, he was more interested in everyday matters such as death and childhood. Thanks to his work on childhood, he made a breakthrough in historiography dealing with such a delicate and elusive topic, while making very radical judgments about the issue. Jacques le Goff was known in the Annalist community as the creator of nouvelle histoire, i.e. historical anthropology and the history of mentality. Thanks to historians like J. Le Goff, history seemed more interesting and “fresh”, even, and above all, the history of the Middle Ages.

The “post-October” revival, so visible in the Polish society at the end of 1956, was clearly marked by the scouting group. The group had already shown some impatience and radicalism, as issues related to scouting had been waiting for solutions on the part of the authorities for a long time.

The congress in Łódź reactivated scouting. At the same time, it showed that everything that was happening inside the organization was nothing but a reflection of the processes taking place in society. The so-called October revolution did not have much in common with a real revolution, the October transformation would be a better term, as only a slight correction of the political system took place. ZHP was still limited by the system and greatly influenced by politics. That is why the “freedom”, regained in Łódź, turned out to be an illusion.

The History of Education, one of the courses offered at teacher education studies at the University of Szczecin, has been taught since the 1960’s. It was then when Teacher Education College in Szczecin was set up as a branch of Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań. In 1973 Teacher Education College was transformed into an independent unit – Pedagogy Academy. The establishment of the University of Szczecin in 1985 marked a new chapter in the process of the development of the history of education as a course offered at pedagogical studies. History of Education Department was set up in 1992 and professor Danuta Koźmian was chair of the department throughout its existence. Scientific and didactic work of professor Danuta Koźmian first at Teacher Education College, through Pedagogy Academy and the University of Szczecin has been crucial for the development of the history of education as a course taught at teacher education studies in Szczecin. In 2008 professor Danuta Koźmian retired and the Council of the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Szczecin established the Chair for the History of Education appointing professor Wiesław Andrukowicz, Ph.D its head.