Latin & Politics

1. Latin & Politics in PRL, 1945-1970 Research by Dr Barbara Brzuska, University of Warsaw presented by Elżbieta Olechowska, IBI AL, UW Collegium Budapest June 2010

2. Plan of the presentation • Congress of 1945 • 1945-47 • 1948 Reform • The Six-year Plan 1950-1955 • 1953-1958 Public Debate on Latin • 1954 streamlining of the programs • 1961 Reform • Latin Curricula- Latin at school statistics (handout)

3. National Educational Congress, June 1945 • Preceded by a series of regional meetings of school curators, parents and teachers. • General conclusion: step by step changes, scheduled over a number of years, on the British model. • S. Skrzeszewski, Minister for Education, proposed instead revolutionary changes to be introduced rapidly.

4. Ministerial directives School must be • Homogenous • Free of charge • Public • Compulsory

5. Ministerial directives „constant one-side emphasis on the affinity between classical culture and western European culture, along with a systematic disregard for Slavonic elements of USSR, Russian culture, Ukrainian culture, Czech culture… leads to fascist education.” Nothing new – 19th c. arguments well known in the Polish territory occupied by Russia.

6. Conclusion from the June 1945 Congress A heated discussion on the wisdom of teaching Latin ended with a quasi consensus: • Latin should be a compulsory subject in all grades of the generalist high school Critical voices: • Latin belongs to an elitist vision of high school • Elitist school fosters the ideals of the old social order • It is part of the 1932 fascist reform

7. July 1945: Temporary Government of National Unity • Education escaped from PPR control • The structure and the programs in generalist high schools remained largely unchanged between 1945 – 1947

8. 1948 – 1961 • Education went back under PPR and Minister Skrzeszewski • Reform reduced the length from 12 do 11 years (7 + 4) • Forced homogeneity of programs: high school had to offer Latin but students had a choice of other languages. As there was a shortage of teachers, a student who opted for a western European language had to take Latin or a Slavonic language (only Russian was offered) as a second foreign language. • Soon, Russian becomes compulsory and students are faced with an „either- or” choice between Latin and a western European language.

9. 1948 – 1961 • PTF asked its regional chapters to collect opinions of students and their parents on the future of Latin at school. • Thousands of declarations from across the country were shipped to the Ministry of Education. • In May 1948 a delegation from PTF Presidium went to discuss the issue with Minister Skrzeszewski. • The Minister was adamant: Latin cannot remain a compulsory subject within a homogenous high school but promised the creation of several classical high school with Latin and Greek. He never kept his promise.

10. 1948 – 1961 • The six-year plan 1950-1955 announced a reduction of the number of generalist high schools and their students. • Between 1949 and 1956, the number of students in generalist high schools dropped by 14%; later the postwar demographic boom stopped further decrease. • Between 1950 and 1961, priority was given to low level vocational schools; from 1961 on, to technical high schools.

11. 1948 – 1961 • The plan accurately forecast for 1965 a proportion of 1:4 between students at generalist high schools and students attending vocational and technical highschools. • The traditional Polish intelligentsia diminished in numbers and was facing now a new growing „technical” intelligentsia who enjoyed the party’s support and trust to a greater extent. • This phenomenon intensified after March 1968.

12. 1948 – 1961 • In May 1954, a slimming down of overburdened high school programs in all subjects is announced. • It was supposed to be achieved through removal of „obsolete content” • Teaching and education was not considered any more as a technological process – „production meetings” are abolished. • The relevance of teaching Latin was widely discussed.

13. Debate on Latin, 1953-1958 • In December 1953, during a session of Pedagogical Committee (PAN) about teaching content, there were strong voices for teaching Latin and classical culture. • In February 1954, a certain M. Szulkin published an article tendentiously criticizing the role of Latin and classical culture in 19th c. Poland. • A group of Silesian teachers was awarded high prize in a competition for a project entirely eliminating Latin, as a solution most profitable for schools. It was partly based on Szulkin’s argument. • In June 1954, at the General Assembly of PTF, prof. M. Brożek strongly condemns Szulkin’s article.

14. Debate on Latin, 1953-1958 • In September 1955, the most popular Polish weekly „Przekrój” joined the debate asking its readers to answer a series of questions led by: Are you for or against teaching Latin at school? Among over 40 thousand respondents, 72,1% opted for Latin at school. • October 1956 brings new hopes for classical languages. Debate continues and spills over to the daily press. • Express Wieczorny : „Latin at high school is not a luxury but a necessity”.

15. Debate on Latin, 1953-1958 • The Union of Polish Teachers, at its massive assembly in Warsaw, was preparing for a Pedagogical Congress being organized the following year. • A few days before the assembly, Express Wieczorny asked its readers: „Should Latin become a compulsory subject in high school?” • 60 % of respondents said YES.

16. Debate on Latin, 1953-1958 • A general discussion at the Committee for Programs and Teaching Methods focussed on Latin. Among participants: K. Kumaniecki, M. Brożek, S. Światłowska, but also people from outside the profession. • A project to treat Latin as a „generalist” subject, not an either-or choice between Latin and a western European language. • A Subcommittee on Classical Languages prepared theses for the forthcoming Pedagogical Congress. • Classical high schools or specialized classes became a real possibility, with the support of the Education Minister W. Bieńkowski. • Jan Parandowski wrote an optimistic article „The Return of Persephone” • Many express vocal support for multi-profile high schools.

17. Debate on Latin, 1953-1958 • The end of the Carnival comes in September 1958 • W. Gomułka speaks at the National Council of Party Activists in Education about school’s mission to „better prepare the youth for socialist life and work, to educatem them in the spirit of socialism.” • The return of the rethoric of the early 50’. • An educational reform is being undertaken on the initiative of PZPR. • But is only in January 1961, that The Reform of Primary and Secondary Schools is officially launched, at the VII Plenary Meeting of the Central Committee:.

18. 1961-1970 • The 1961 reform put Latin among the entirely optional subjects, next to school choir and sports circles. • Each school director was obliged to organize optional classes, if there were enough candidates, i.e. usually no less than 25. These were students at various levels, they did not constitute a homogenous group, classes were taking place late in the day – all this did nothing to motivate students. • The teachers actively fought against these conditions: they spoke publicly, encouraged learning Latin in the press, radio and television, intervened with the ministry curators, if the director was unwilling to organize optional classes.

19. 1961-1970 • PTF did not remain inactive. Regional chapters tried to introduce Latin as the third compulsory language. The society’s President, K. Kumaniecki and the members of the presidium intervened at the Mnistry, they submitted memoranda, sought support for Latin at various academic institutions. 11 universities and 19 other research institutions sent in their opinions and expertise, all strongly in support of Latin. • Prof. Kumaniecki went, although without much enthusiasm, to see Zenon Kliszko, Secretary of the Central Committee, the second most important party figure, after Gomułka. Kliszko’s daughter was taught Latin by Ms. H. Gesztoft. Kliszko provided the teacher with a direct phone number which allowed to reduce the waiting time for a meeting from six months to a few days. It is not clear how the meeting went and what it achieved, if anything.

20. 1961-1970 • The uniformity of school curriculum, announced in 1945, began to display some cracks in the form of possible differentiation into distinct school profiles, including humanities profile with compulsory Latin. The idea was implemented only in the early 70s.

21. Latin Curricula • In 1950, the Ministry produces a new curriculum, accompanied by „Opening Remarks”, of ostensibly the same caliber, as those formulated about all other subjects. • Teaching of Latin (similarly as that of biology, English, history and other subjects) is supposed to develop students’ „love and respect for USSR, the best friend of People’s Poland, the country of victorious socialism, the shining example for all countries and all nations.” • The selectionof texts did not change but it came equipped with detailed methodological comments defining educational tasks to be accomplished by an appropriate interpretation of Roman literature and authors and by supplemental readings from suitably selected Polish translations.

22. Latin Curricula • In the 1960s,curricula timidly suggest that Latin used to be the language of diplomacy, administration, law; rhetoric, science and culture in Europe, hence also in Poland. • The ideological ‘toll’ in the language of the curricula, as well as in the school practice, becomes less and less obvious.

23. Czasopisma • In 1948, a subsidy from the Prime Minister Osóbka-Morawski allowed PTF to produce an outstanding periodical „Paideia. A Didactic-Scholarly Review of Classical Philology”. • University scholars as well as very experienced school teachers publish there. • The next PM (Józef Cyrankiewicz) was less generous, Latin was viewed less favourably and ‘Paideia’ came out only one more time, in 1948. • Janina Pliszczyńska, a classicist at KUL and the editor-in-chief of ‘Paideia’, told the General Assembly of PTF that she had already materials for at least three more issues.

25. Periodicals • The next didactical periodical „Języki Obce w Szkole”, came out in 1957. • While it was not dedicated exclusively to classical languages but shared space with English, French and German, the contents were clearly dominated by Latin, because of the incredibly dynamic personality of Stefan Staszczyk, the editor of the Latin section. • The periodical published articles by teachers but also by university professors from across the country. Adam Krokiewicz published there his Stylistyka łacińska, in several installments • Reports from teachers’ workshops, from events organized at schools, from dramatic performances etc. Latin and antiquity fill usually half of each issue and the level of this part of the publication is usually impeccable. • In 1961, S. Staszczyk dies; on the other hand, Latin after the 1961 reform significantly loses its importance.

26. The Teachers During the difficult 50s Latin teachers also had to make ideological concessions - some would do it more or less willingly, others would refuse. There are indications of that in the publications, themes of papers, manuals etc. Latin was perceived as a subject from the enemy system. J. Horowski and his review of the curriculum is an example of a willingness to satisfy the authorities.

27. The Teachers • Their natural and obvious goal was to save their subject and their livelihood… • In 1957, there was a ceiling for the proportion of students who could take Latin as a second foreign language: no more than 30 % • Actual figures for 1962 indicate that these quotas were not strictly adhered to: Latin 36,3 %,French 18,2 %. • Latin teachers were much better prepared professionally than teachers of other foreign languages – a fact well appreciated by students and their parents. • Annual reports of PTF, publications in the periodical “Języki Obce w Szkole”, all demonstrate the highest professional quality and dedication of Latin teachers.