PECULIARITIES OF SUPPORT AND OPERATION OF SMALL SCHOOLS IN POLAND

Abstract

The article considers Polish experience in preservation and operation of small schools. In the second half of the twentieth century, reforms of Polish school education in general and small-numbered schools in particular involved creation of various projects, volunteering.The attention is focused on the fact that the work of the Polish Society «Edukator» serves as an example of preservation and operation of small schools in Poland.The article provides arguments that the promising directions of the Societyʼs work in the area of supporting small schools in Poland are as follows: popularization of the alternative pre-school education; training residents of areas with small schools on civic rights and duties; encouraging students in rural schools to be interested in the world by organizing trainings of successful learning; promotion of modern education technologies; professional training and consultation in the area of preparation of project proposals for financing.The article also considers the experience in preserving small schools of the Federation for Educational Initiatives which launched the programs «Small School», «From a Small School to the Big World».It was found that a small school unites parents, teachers and the public for cooperation. According to the Federation, a small school is a public and free non-public school with public school rights created by legal and natural persons instead of liquidated schools. It is possible to create gymnasiums modelled after small schools.The article provides assessment of the project «School of Dreams» which operated in the framework of programs of the European Social Fund. This project aimed to increase educational and life chances of pupils from rural schools. Its main idea was to introduce elements of theory of success into learning.It is concluded that organizational and scientific foundations of operation of small schools were formed in Poland. The issue of support and operation of small schools in Poland is complete and feasible for implementation into Ukrainian education system in the context of the «new Ukrainian school».Polandʼs experience shows that a small school had kept its existence mainly due to public funding of educational institutions, organization of social partnership as part of operation of socially active schools. Small school remained local educational and counselling centres for development and preservation of economy and culture.It is proved that the key component of the operation and support of such a school is the new educational content based on the formation of pupilsʼ competencies needed for successful self-realization in society.It is concluded that operation of small schools in Poland becomes possible thanks to the introduction of information and communication technologies, differentiation, individualization of the educational process, expansion of space for innovation.In the face of existence of the «new Ukrainian school», support of school education in Ukraine should become consistent and completed like in the Polish educational system.