Educational issues in program documents of Polish political parties (1919–1939)

The article analyzes the program documents of the leading Polish political parties, traces the ways of solving educational problems, protecting the educational rights of representatives of different nationalities, and improving the financial situation for teachers. The educational activity of party members aimed at the development of primary, secondary and tertiary schooling, extracurricular education, as well as raising the level of national consciousness of the Polish population is discussed. It is observed that the right political forces advocated strengthening the Polish identity of the country and denied the right of national minorities to learn their mother tongue. They were convinced that Polish-language schools and Polish teachers were to become instruments of cultural and political influence on minorities and were supposed to form Polish national consciousness in children and young people which would make it impossible to spread national separatism. Policies of sanation defined the exclusive role in the country for the Poles, and made significant efforts to develop Polish-language schooling. However, representatives of national minorities were granted equal rights for education in their native language, provided they are fully loyal to the authorities. At the same time, Polish left-wing political forces advocated equal rights for citizens of all religions and nationalities, implementation of the articles of 1921 and 1935 Constitutions concerning the cultural, linguistic and educational rights of national minorities. Free of charge elementary, secondary and higher education institutions with the native language of instruction, which were intended to direct the upbringing of children for the public and civil service in Poland, were supposed to provide equal opportunities in the educational sphere, both for the Poles and representatives of other nationalities. Despite some differences, almost all program documents of the Polish political forces referred to the need to increase the level of education in schools, allocation of scholarships for students, teachers’ training, organization of educational courses, reading rooms, libraries and folk houses.Keywordspolitical parties, Poland, educational activity, educational institutions, national minorities.