Historical “Education” without the Wielkopolska Uprising?

As the Poznań Institute, we are profoundly afraid about the proposed changes in the programming basis of secondary schools, which presume the anticipation to remove the past of the Wielkopolska Uprising from the teaching content.

The Ministry of National Education argues that the intent of the changes to the programming basis is to limit the compulsory scope of teaching content in order to enable teachers and students to realize the material more thoroughly. However, removing the past of the Wielkopolska Uprising from the programme may constitute gross negligence in historical education leading to a distortion of cognition about crucial events in Poland's history.

The Wielkopolska Uprising, which took place between 1918 and 1919, was a key minute in the fight for Poland's independence. This is an crucial phase in national history, which not only contributed to the revival of the Polish state, but besides had a crucial influence on the shaping of the borders of Poland. Removing this subject from the curriculum is unacceptable as it leads to mediocre historical cognition of pupils and an incorrect knowing of the historical context.

Therefore, we powerfully argue the proposed change in the programming basis concerning the removal of the past of the Wielkopolska Uprising. We call on the Ministry of National Education to keep the integrity and comprehensiveness of teaching Polish past and to take into account the importance of the Wielkopolska Uprising in the programming content for schools.

Leaving this crucial event in the curriculum is crucial to preserving actual national past and shaping an informed society. We hope that our vote will be heard and included in the process of shaping the fresh programme base.

Poznań Institute