Curriculum Reform in Poland: Putting New Needs into an Old System
Curriculum Reform in Poland: Putting New Needs into an Old System

Summary/Abstract: Amongst the countries of the former Eastern Bloc, Poland has perhaps been the most successful in its post-1989 attemps to be considered part of world capitalist order and of Western rather than Eastern Europe (with the Czech Republic as another strong candidate for this position). Likely membership of both NATO and the European Community within the next five years are just two indicators of this succéss. The country has been determined to move itself westwards, economically, ideologically and culturally, while erecting a large sign on its eastern borders declaring, "Nó connection with the firm next door." The geographical position of Poland has certainly helped with this move, but it should also be noted that many Poles have long regarded themselvés as historically part of the west, not the east. In" support-of this élaim, several Poles have pointed out to me the use of the Latin rather than Cyrillic alphabet, the dominance of the Roman Catholic rather than the Orthodox Church; a history of artistic and intellectual links with Western Europe (notably Fránce) and the existence of a considerable Polish diaspora in the rest of Europe and the USA: (15 is significant that LOT, the Polish national airline, assigns number 001 to its Warsaw-Chicago flight?) Linguistic and cultural ties with Russia in particular are played down. For many Poles, then, the changes through which the country has gone since 1989 (or even earlier) are not just about defining a new direction for Poland; büt also about reaffirming Polands historical position in Europe. They offer an opportunity to "modernise" the country while at the same time allowing the resurgence of a Poland built on its own cultural terms, rather than those imposed by an outside power - only the second such opportunity in two hundred years.

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