Publiczne szkolnictwo powszechne dla mniejszości narodowych w województwie poleskim w latach 1919-1939

• Authors: Andrzej Smolarczyk

Title variants

EN

PUBLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SYSTEM FOR NATIONAL MINORITIES IN THE PROVINCE OF POLESIA IN 1919-1939

• Languages of publication: PL

Abstracts

EN

The article presents the public elementary school system for national minorities in the province of Polesia in 1919-1939. Liberal policy of the Germans towards school system on the territories occupied by them during the I World War gave rise to more intensive national aspirations of Belarusian and Ukrainian population living in Polesia. It was a reason why a network of Belarusian and Ukrainian elementary school systems came into being. As soon as the Civil Board of Eastern Territories (Zarząd Cywilny Ziem Wschodnich) took control over school system, it started eliminating Belarussian and Ukrainian schools in place of which it created Polish schools. It was only on 31 July 1924 when the utraquist bill established organizational principles for school system of Belarusians and Ukrainians. The purpose of this bill was to integrate minorities living in the Eastern part of II Polish Republic with the Polish state and culture as well as to satisfy educational aspirations of these minorities. Minorities regarded the utraquist bill as deeply unjust and undemocratic. Declarations for schools in mother tongues caused sharp political conflicts. School plebiscites in southern districts of Polesia led to competition between Belarusian and Ukrainian minorities. Huge social discontent was a reaction to the abuses of Polish authorities that collected declarations for schools teaching in Belarusian and Ukrainian. The utraquist bill from 31 July 1924 was implemented in most of Belarusian and Ukrainian schools already in school year 1925/1926. At the beginning of the thirties state authorities hardened their attitude towards Belarusian school system in Polesia as a result of its general attitude to the national Belarusian movement. The latter was just found too weak to be reckoned with.

Keywords

EN

POLISH SECOND REPUBLIC; PUBLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SYSTEM; NATIONAL MINORITIES; POLESIA

• Publisher: Instytut Historii Nauki Polskiej Akademii Nauk
• Journal: Rozprawy z Dziejów Oświaty
• Year: 2012
• Volume: 49
• Pages: 111-137

Contributors

author

Andrzej Smolarczyk

• KATEDRA EKONOMII I NAUK SPOŁECZNYCH WYDZIAŁU ZARZĄDZANIA POLITECHNIKI BIAŁOSTOCKIEJ