Commission of National Education

The Commission of National Education (Polish: Komisja Edukacji Narodowej, KEN; Lithuanian: Edukacinė komisija) was the central educational authority in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, created by the Sejm and King Stanisław II August on October 14, 1773. Because of its vast authority and autonomy, it is considered the first education ministry in European history and an important achievement of the Polish Enlightenment.^[1][2]

History

Genesis

The chief reason behind its creation was that in Poland and

One of the first items on the parliamentary agenda of the Partition Sejm (1773–1775), which acceded to the First Partition of Poland, was the assessment in how to best utilise the former Jesuit property and declaration of a firm intention to the continuity of the education system.^[3]

The Commission was formally created on October 14, 1773.

In 1773 the KEN was granted much of the former property of the

1. Parochial schools – for peasants and burghers;
2. Powiat schools – mostly for children of the szlachta (nobility); however, children of lower classes were also admitted;
3. Universities –
   Academy of Warsaw, Academy of Vilnius and Academy of Kraków

In 1774 the Commission took over the Załuski Library.

• 
  Algebra for national schools, (1782).
• 
  Elementary book, (1785).
• 
  Krzysztof Kluk

  , Botanics for national schools, (1785).
• 
  Michał Jan Hube, Physics for national schools (1792).
• 
  Onufry Kopczyński, The layout of Grammatics for national schools, (1785).
• 
  Grammatics for national schools, (1783).
• 
  Introduction to physics for national schools, (1788).

Second phase (1781–1788)

After the formative period, during which the prerogatives of the Commission were established, the KEN started to convert schools to the new model. The three universities in Warsaw, Vilnius and Kraków were granted the right of curatorship over schools of lower degree. This included the schools which remained under the influence of the Roman Church. Gradually, the teachers, who were frequently former Jesuit priests, were exchanged for young lay teachers - graduates of the three academies. Thanks to this move, the opposition inside the local schools was finally broken.

Third phase (1788–1794)

After 1789 the supporters of reforms in the Polish

. The process of dissolving the Commonwealth was completed in 1795, with its territory being ceded to Russia, Prussia and Austria.

Legacy

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Although the Commission had only functioned for around 20 years, it managed to completely change the shape of education in Poland. The

It is often argued, with quite some force, that because of the efforts of the Commission of National Education, the Polish language and culture did not disappear into oblivion, during the Partitions of Poland – heavy Russification and Germanisation notwithstanding.

Members

Members of Commission of National Education were:^[4]

Notes