The Ministry of National Education, chaired by Barbara Nowacka, presented a bill aimed at a major improvement in the education strategy in Poland. Among the proposed changes are the withdrawal of repetitor textbooks and the decentralisation of decisions on pedagogical experiments. The amendment, which is presently in the public consultation phase, raises many controversy and concerns in the educational and publishing environment.
Repethitoria withdrawal: What does it mean?
What are Repetitoria?
Repetytoria is simply a circumstantial kind of textbook that aims to repeat and consolidate the most crucial content in a given field of knowledge. They usually include sets of examination tasks and exercises that aid students prepare for tests and exams. In the education system, repetitors were utilized as additional materials supporting discipline and preparation for exams.
What Does the Amendment Predict?
According to the draft law, in the school year 2024/2025, repetitoria textbooks are to be withdrawn from the school admission process. The Ministry of National Education justifies this decision by the fact that repetitors are not considered as full-fledged teaching resources. In a message published on 26 July 2024, the ministry stresses that the overarching nonsubjective of the improvement is to advance active and surviving teaching, not just preparing students for exams by repeating content.
Why is it important?
The decision to retreat repetitories aims to focus on the basic programming basis and to make student skills in a more holistic and sustainable way. The Ministry of Finance wants the textbooks to be in line with the curriculum and to support the acquisition of knowledge, not just for examination.
Decentralisation of Pedagogical Experiments
What are Pedagogical Experiments?
Pedagogical experiments are innovative investigation methods utilized in the school environment to introduce fresh solutions and measure their impact on education. They may cover different aspects of teaching and the organisation of the school and aim to improve teaching efficiency and adapt to changing student needs.
Amendments to the experimentation Decisions
So far, the decisions to carry out pedagogical experiments have been made by the Ministry of National Education. The fresh law provides that from now on these decisions will be taken by education curators. This means decentralising the impact of the ministry on local educational innovation and expanding the function of curatorial authorities in decision-making on experiments.
Why Decentralization?
Decentralisation aims to enable more flexible and local adaptation of educational innovation to the circumstantial needs of schools and regions. Educators, acting locally, will have a better knowing of local needs and challenges, which will let for more accurate and effective introduction of fresh teaching methods.
Changes in the Markings and Accessibility of Handbooks
New Content Requirements
The bill besides introduces changes to the labelling of textbooks. Content beyond the scope of the programme base must be clearly marked so that students and teachers know which materials are additional and optional sources of knowledge.
Handbooks in Digital Form
All textbooks are besides to be available in digital form. This is simply a step towards modern educational solutions and adapting to the increasing function of technology in teaching. Digital manuals will let easier access to materials and facilitate their updating and distribution.
Consultation and Next Steps
Consultation process
Public consultation on the bill ran from June 17 to July 8, 2024. During the consultation, a number of comments and opinions were gathered, which will be discussed at a peculiar conference scheduled for 7 August 2024. The Conference aims to further clarify the rules and address any doubts.
What's next?
After the consultation, the bill will be subject to further legislative work. It is worth following developments to keep up with final decisions and prepare for possible changes in the education system.
The proposals for changes in the education system, including the withdrawal of repetitories and decentralisation of decisions on pedagogical experiments, aim to modernise and improve the quality of teaching in Polish schools. These changes aim to focus on the basic programming basis and to let more local adaptation of educational innovation. The introduction of digital textbooks and the explicit marking of additional content are steps towards a modern and more effective education system.
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