Chapter 21: European and International Education in Polish Schools: Examples from The Research On the Social Campaign “School with Class”

It is possible to illustrate the importance attached by Polish schools to European education and their readiness to operate in an international environment using the analysis of results of the large-scale social campaign “School with Class.” Almost all schools participating in the Elos program chose this project. Currently, the research describing the results of the campaign and the possibilities of using programs of this type to improve the quality of school work is being completed (Czetwertyńska, in press).

“School with Class” was a social program aimed at promoting a new way of educational thinking in educational thinking in Polish schools, showing the principles behind modern, effective teaching, improving its quality, contributing to the development of educational culture, and stimulating the cooperation between schools and their local environment. Its objective was also to indicate new program directions on which it would be worthwhile to focus while preparing students to live in an ever-changing world. Project coordinators focused mainly on civic and European education, foreign languages, and use of the internet. They intended to evoke a discussion within the schools themselves and to awaken the educational community by inviting them to participate in such a massive undertaking. They were also trying to encourage the teachers to prove both to themselves and to society that Polish schools are able to work well and, in some cases, are already working well. “School with Class” began on May 20, 2002.