Memory of the World; 2012 - unesdoc - Unesco

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National Education
Commission archives
Inscribed 2007
What is it
A collection of manuscripts, journal extracts, printed
papers, maps, directives and curricula that were created
from 1773 to 1794.
Why was it inscribed
The Polish National Education Commission was the
first Ministry of Education in the world, and introduced
the first comprehensive, democratic public-school
system open to all social classes, and to women. It
is of global significance for its early adoption and
propagation of the progressive and democratic values
of the 18th-century European Enlightenment.
Where is it
Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences, Krakow, Poland
The National Education Commission (NEC) reform was
carried at a groundbreaking time of social and political
change in 18th century Europe and the wider world. It
was an era of major scientific discoveries, especially in
natural sciences, and economic transformations that
would lead to the birth of capitalism. Social revolutions
changed countries from medieval structures with dynastic
and authoritarian political systems to new national states.
The NEC reform anticipated these changes, becoming
the first educational reform to implement a curriculum
of new knowledge about nature and man.
The Commission was an institution established by the
Sejm (Parliament) on the initiative of the King of Poland,
Stanisław August Poniatowski. It combined the features
of an administrative body with some juridical powers and
its members were drawn from all strata of society: there
were two bishops and eight laypersons, nobles, scientists,
intellectuals and the king.
The educational curriculum covered natural sciences,
mathematics and philosophy and was prepared for all
the social classes and for all teaching levels – tertiary,
secondary and parochial schools. This had a decisive
impact on the education of peasants who were still
legally dependent on their overlords. It also covered
education and schools for women, which was revolutionary
290 National Education Commission archives
Jagiellonian University, Krakow, which
was supervised by the Commission. �
at the time. The curriculum used new textbooks
and was supervised by inspectors according to the
formulated guidelines.
The archives show the framework on which the reforms
were built. They contain manuscripts, guidelines for
inspectors, plans for study reforms, journal extracts,
entitlements to teach, buildings inventories, receipts, maps,
directives and curricula created in the period 1773–94. The
records depict all aspects of the implemented reform: the
concept, methods of completion, the organizational system
and resources used.
The inventive reforms of the NEC were reflected in the
slogan ‘Education is public interest’. The concept was
introduced consistently throughout the country and it
had decisive social and political impacts, sowing the seeds
of the Polish national identity. The successful completion
of such a systematic educational programme has no
equivalent in the political history or reformatory efforts
of previous times.
Although the archival records have suffered severe
damage, in particular during the Second World War, the
nominated collection symbolizes the historical significance
of the National Education Commission.