In this article I make a critical analysis of educational policy in Poland during the 28 years of the political transformation. In the transition period in Poland, from 1989 to 2017, education did not become a source of ongoing changes in the country. Further formations of political power, selected through elections, instead of decentralizing the school system, allegedly led to the creation of new models of school in a corset of centralism. To make matters worse, the prime ministers of the following governments from different political parties, taking into account their own or party interests, created the ministry of national education (or their decision-making power apparatus) who had disturbed communicational relationships with the public. In this article, I explain the reasons for the betrayal of elites in the context of fundamental assumptions of the “Solidarity” movement in the years of 1980 – 1989. As a result, Polish society abandoned the deliberative and participatory democracy. I look at how education, as a science and practice of education, fits into democratization of the Polish state and society. What is of key importance is the perception of education as a common good, as environments and entities, institutions or management practices which participate in a democratic society.

Autor wskazuje, że w Turcji asymilacyjną, ultranacjonalistyczną politykę edukacyjną wobec mniejszości religijnych i etnicznych determinuje szereg czynników, m.in.: restrykcyjne interpretowanie przez Turcję postanowień Traktatu z Lozanny z 1923 roku, tj. uznanie wyłącznie za mniejszości religijne wspólnot należących do Kościoła obrządku greckiego i ormiańskiego oraz Żydów, z wyłączeniem jakichkolwiek muzułmańskich mniejszości religijnych; specyficznie rozumiana zasada laickości państwa, nakładająca na szkoły obowiązek prowadzenia lekcji „kultury religijnej i etyki”, które w praktyce sprowadzają się do nauki islamu obrządku sunnickiego i budzą protest alawitów; konstytucyjna zasada, zgodnie z którą w placówkach kształcenia i nauczania obywatele tureccy mogą być nauczani jedynie języka tureckiego jako języka ojczystego, skutkiem czego tylko tzw. mniejszości uznane w Traktacie z Lozanny mają prawo zakładania szkół prywatnych z ojczystym językiem nauczania, podczas gdy mniejszości językowe muzułmańskie mają tylko prawo organizowania w weekendy i w czasie wakacji lekcji „różnych języków i dialektów używanych przez obywateli tureckich w życiu rodzinnym”. Tak więc, np. Kurdowie stanowiący około 15% ludności Turcji nie mają możliwości kultywowania swojego języka. Autor wymienia przykłady pozytywnych zmian władz tureckich w stosunku do mniejszości językowych i religijnych, upatrując ich źródeł w dążeniu Turcji do członkostwa w Unii Europejskiej oraz w tendencji Turcji do doceniania wieloetniczności i wielokulturowości imperium osmańskiego.

In this article is determined that the main factor that led to political transformations in the Arabian Peninsula was the process of globalization. Moreover, the impact on the countries of this region was carried out in two vectors - externally and internally. As a result of the active promotion of Western traditions of understanding and functioning of political systems, cardinal reforms and transformations in gender policy, education, socio-economic level, etc. have taken place in the countries of the studied region. The relevance of the study of the proposed topic is due to the fact that the Middle East, including and the Arabian Peninsula become important in Ukraine’s international relations. Although, as the practice of post-reform events shows, often these changes are only declarative rather than systemic. This is primarily due to the slow and unstable movement towards the transformation of socio-political institutions, despite the rather strong pressure in this context from leading international organizations and the leadership of key Western political states.

From the struggle for survival to world-class education – key programs in Singapore’s educational policy

The article draws attention to historical, political and legal aspects of the changes introduced in the Singapore education system. Educational reforms in this country have led to the formation of a highly effective system, i.e. world-class education. The aim of the article is to indicate some key programs of the government’s educational policy that have contributed to the country’s transition from the third world level to a leader of the first-world level. The article is a descriptive overview set in a temporal perspective. As such, it highlights the main changes in the organization and the functioning of the education system. Its five phases have been isolated and their specific features have been described. The effectiveness of the strategy adopted by Singapore has been assessed in the context of its political culture.

Preservation of the culture and language of the Lusatian Sorbs in Brandenburg

Lusatian Serbs, also called Sorbs, are people living in Upper, Middle and Lower Lusatia. This small nation is a remnant of the Slavic settlement in East Germany (Brandenburg and Saxony). Lower Lusatia now lies in the state of Brandenburg, and Upper and Middle Lusatia in the Free State of Saxony. According to official data, in these areas there are approximately 50,000 – 60,000 Lusatian Serbs, of which it is assumed that two-thirds reside in Saxony and one-third in Brandenburg. The article draws attention to formal and legal issues aimed at protecting the culture and the Lower Sorbian language. The analyses carried out concern the general provisions of the European Union, Germany and more detailed guidelines adopted in Brandenburg. Legal acts are important formal means of protection, the effectiveness of which is expressed by the way of practice. Unfortunately, in Brandenburg, many of the existing regulations have no proper effect on everyday life or are distorted. The article is an attempt to identify the assumptions with the implementation, to recognize the limitations, but also to discuss the directions of improving the existing state.

Education and educational policy represent a significant place in society. The role of education in the European dimension lies in its contribution to the development of European inhabitants' awareness of common qualities of solidarity, democracy, equal opportunity and mutual respect. Due to the fact that educational systems in particular EU countries vary, the International Standard of Classification of Education (ISCED) was formed for their comparative evaluation. Within European integration the importance of EU programmes in the sphere of education (Phare, Socrates and others) has increased, aiming at improving the attitude to quality upbringing and education.

The paper presents three possible 'futures' and 6 scenarios for schools that are elaborated in the OECD report published as a book entitled What Schools for the Future? in 2001 and its sequel in 2003 Networks of Innovation. Towards New Models for Managing Schools and Systems. These different visions are compared and archetypes of the types of leaders that each of them might require are proposed. The implications for developing such managers to meet the demands of varying future scenarios are then considered. Finally, the question to what extent these visions are globally relevant is explored and whether globalisation of educational policy and practice itself is a desirable future.

The article highlights changes in Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) in Singapore. In response to the country’s current and future needs, the government has been introducing various mandatory programs aimed at integrating ethnic groups and developing human resources through education. The aim of the article is to recognize the importance attributed to CCE in educational policy and to discuss the currently implemented approach. The diagnosis takes into account the broader social, political and historical context of the country, in which CCE is embedded.