National Education Day in Poland

History and Traditions

Abstract

The article recounts the history of celebrating the Day of National Education in Poland, which is marked on 14 October. On this day in 1773, the Education Commission — the first ministry of education in Europe — was created. In the context of the abolition of the Order of the Jesuits, who had played a major role in the development of primary and secondary education in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Commission faced the task of reforming public education and giving it a secular character. The reform of education in Poland was of great importance. An orderly education system emerged, subordinate to the state and of a secular nature. Some elements of reaching across the socio-economic classes were introduced. The education system created by the Commission was the basis for the development of education in subsequent years, when, after the final partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1795 and until 1918, its former territories were ruled by Russia, Prussia (known as the German Empire since 1871) and Austria. A national holiday dedicated to teachers has been celebrated in the Polish Republic since 1957, every year on 20 November, the international day of the Charter of Educators. In 1972, a Teacher’s Day was officially enshrined in legislation, and its date was moved to 14 October to honour the creation of the Educational Commission. In 1982, the holiday was renamed the Day of National Education. In Poland, since 1997 International Teachers’ Day has also been celebrated on 5 October by teachers working in the field of higher education.