The uproar surrounding the textbook for the new subject, History and the Present Day, is showing no signs of dying down. Some people call it outright an “ideological brochure,” while others point out that it is riddled with errors. Last week’s Fakty TVN report mentioned that some local governments had already declared that they did not want this textbook.
We asked the head of county education, Katarzyna Zięba, what the situation would be here. The head of the department said:
(…) the teacher decides which textbook to use for teaching the subject, and when there are several teachers of a given subject at a school, the decision is made by the team of teachers of that subject. The governing body, just like other bodies or institutions, cannot impose or prohibit a specific textbook.
She explains:
Teaching with a textbook is easier for both teachers and students, but it is worth emphasizing that the subject can be taught without a textbook; what matters is that the core curriculum is completed.
She adds:
As for the new subject—History and the Present Day—there is currently one available textbook, by Wojciech Roszkowski, but work is underway on two others (including one by WSiP, which is awaiting approval for use in schools). An online platform with materials for learning the subject is also to be launched.
The head of the Education, Culture and Sport Department at the Bolesławiec County Office emphasizes: “Therefore, at the beginning of the school year, teachers who will teach the subject will decide which textbook or other materials for teaching History and the Present Day will be used in schools in Bolesławiec County.