Sand: Minister

In a fierce competition for the title of Donald Tusk's most incompetent government minister for the lead Barbara Nowack is clearly standing out.

39-year-old leftist activist replaced prof. Przemysław Czarnek as Minister of Education. She rapidly proved that, despite the deficiency of substantive preparation and simple competence, she would not hesitate to "reform" her education.

In fresh days, the Ministry of National Education has presented a proposal to change the programming basis of almost all subjects in grades IV-VIII of primary schools, advanced schools, technicians and manufacture schools. The fresh narrow programme base is to apply for a transitional period from the school year 2024/2025. As a substance of fact, the basics are to be narrower. Science, and so the cognition that students acquire, is to be much less.

The most emotions were most likely offered by proposals for changes in the basis of programming past teaching. For example, there was a request to teach about the "Polish-Ukrainian conflict" alternatively of the "Volyńska massacre". However, the club's colleagues Minister Nowacka did not agree to specified far-reaching interference. Desiring to keep the anonymity of PO politicians in talking to me, he admitted that utmost ideological ideas announced by any of the members of the government Donald Tusk even among the activists of the Civic Platform.

Representatives of the ideological left besides distance themselves from Nowack's actions. Dr. Włodzimierz Gorki commented on the latest ideas: "If children in the school are to learn about "the causes of the Polish-Ukrainian conflict" and not about the genocide of Poles, the next step will be to teach "the guilt of Poles in the Polish-Ukrainian conflict"(...). The plague replaced cholera.”

Eventually Barbara Nowacka cut herself off from the concept pushed by her ministry. "I will not sign a paper in which the Volyn massacre will not be called by name—genocide," she said.

However, the common criticism of the fresh concept of programming past teaching is only the tip of the iceberg. The Ministry of National Education besides plans to cut the list of school readings. According to MEN, descriptions, customs and hunts from “Pan Tadeusz” and “Return of Dad”, “Redut Ordon” and “Death of Colonel” Adam Mickiewicz, “Katarynka” Bolesław Prus and “Quo Vadis” Henryk Sienkiewicz are to vanish from the programme base. Another work of the Nobel Prize – “In the desert and in the wilderness” would be read in fragments. There are besides specified titles as “In the Diary of Sophia Bobrówny” by Juliusz Słowacki, “Sysific Works” by Stefan Żeromski, “The Fashionable Wife” by Ignacy Krasicki, and the poesy of Cyprian Kamil Norwid. Pogrom will not miss planet classics either. In the opinion of the Minister, the Polish youth do not request to know Homer, Dante or William Shakespeare.

There are more and more voices from the teaching community that, after the proposal to resign from homework, these are further attempts to lower the level of education of Polish students. The wicked even comment that excessive competence is not needed to work on asparagus. But the fact is much simpler. Mrs. Nowacka is usually not acquainted with her work in the world. She got her education with quite a few pain. She graduated at the age of 31, which is interesting at the university, which her father has directed for decades. With the master's degree it was no easier, Nowacka managed to defend it at 38. After that, she went to work, a complete coincidence to be the chancellor of the university led by her father. The same 1 where she had completed her first degree a fewer years earlier. What is interesting is the hereditary position, now the chancellor of the school is Nowacka concubine – Maciej Rembarz.

The educational and professional way of the present minister looks peculiarly curiosistic if we look at her against the background of her predecessor's achievements. erstwhile the thirty-year-old Nowacka was inactive trying to get through her father's first degree studies, Przemysław Czarnek He has already obtained a doctorate in legal discipline on the basis of the work entitled Principles of the regulation of law and social justice in the systemic practice of the 3rd Republic of Poland. While Nowacka was getting her master's degree, Czarnek was already defending habilitation. Even more curiosal looks professional CV Nowacka, who de facto worked exclusively with her father. But the résumé “political” has an highly rich, though otherwise typical of the Polish caviar left.

So, Nowacka is simply a classical case of “banana youth” increasing up in blissful negligence secured by the position of parents. With no peculiar education or experience, no useful skills. A full bunch of ideas on how to improve the world. So if the allegation that the minister wants to rise a generation of non-teachers in Poland is true, then we must admit honestly: she intends to form them in her own image.

So he throws ideas and projects out of his sleeve. They are not accompanied by any discussion, no research, no consultation with teachers, no substantive building. They are so the purest and most harmful form of political populism. It's harmful not only strictly but besides politically harmful. Nowack's crazyness (although not only her) is an increasingly clear image burden for Donald Tusk. Already the leader of the Civic Platform can feel the breath on his back chasing him in the 3rd Way polls. All the more so far, Holovnia and Kosiniak-Kamish do nothing to get the voices of the centre electorate. All they gotta do is let Nowacka and the company talk.

Przemysław Piasta

photo profile ‘X ‘MEN

Think Poland, No. 9-10 (25.02-3.03.2024)