Former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has voiced his concerns over what he terms the “de-education” of Poland’s schooling system. The educational proposals, put forward by the Ministry of National Education under Barbara Nowacka, aim to eliminate homework and streamline the national curriculum. However, Morawiecki believes these changes will detrimentally affect young people’s learning.
According to Morawiecki, the Polish education system indeed requires a more realistic curriculum that helps students in their personal career development and understanding of the world. “Education should not be about liquidation,” he asserted, emphasizing the importance of a comprehensive education that stimulates the imagination and prepares students for future challenges.
The proposed reforms, especially in subjects like mathematics, could undermine the foundational knowledge necessary for understanding complex concepts such as artificial intelligence, economics, and sociology, Morawiecki argued. He also lamented the drastic reduction of literary works in the new curriculum and questioned the absence of contemporary poets and important historical and multicultural aspects of Poland’s heritage.
Morawiecki’s critique extends beyond curriculum changes to a broader concern about losing national identity and moral relativism. “Digitization, artificial intelligence, reducing student workload, and higher salaries for teachers – yes. Erasing heroes, falsifying authorities, and moral relativism – no,” he stated.
Highlighting the importance of historical awareness, the former Prime Minister called for a reconsideration of the educational reforms. “A person without awareness of their own past and history lacks the foundation to build their future and learn from mistakes,” Morawiecki concluded, urging for an education that advances progress rather than fostering forgetfulness.