Preparing the competition application took a great deal of time, as it was prepared alongside the day-to-day duties of the Education Department staff. The most difficult task was developing a concept for presenting the county’s achievements. The questionnaire consisted of a section to be completed and a descriptive section, where applicants had to demonstrate ingenuity and devise a way of presenting the data so that it would reflect reality as accurately as possible while also attracting the attention of the competition committee. This challenge—with an excellent result, as we now know—was undertaken by Helena Paliga-Baraniecka. She gave the document a clear and substantive presentation. She did an outstanding job. The 32-page application, describing the County’s achievements in supporting education, culture and sport in 2007–2011, was sent to Warsaw on 8 July 2011.
The application described the most important awards and certificates (11 achievements) obtained by schools and institutions; the most important external funds secured for education (5 achievements); original and interesting projects involving the education or activation of young people (40 projects); major renovations and investments—worth more than PLN 20,000 (46 renovations and investments); planned renovations (5 investments); participation in nationwide and regional programmes aimed at developing schools or supporting the education of children and young people (28 programmes); activities providing material assistance to children and young people, as well as organising leisure time during the summer and winter holidays (11 programmes); the County’s provision of adult education; the County’s provision of sport and recreation; the greatest sporting achievements of competitors representing Bolesławiec County—at least at the voivodeship level (24 achievements); the greatest academic and artistic achievements (58 achievements) of students and pupils of county schools and institutions; activities aimed at preventing social pathologies and health education (22 activities); as well as cooperation with higher-education institutions and other initiatives, including innovative ways of supporting education and cooperating with other units and entities operating in Bolesławiec County.
“The objective results of external examinations, including the matura exams, are among the measures of our educational success. We are also pleased by the satisfaction of students and their parents. That is what matters most. However, we decided to find out how our activities would be assessed compared with those of other counties. Hence the decision to participate in this competition. After all, we need to measure ourselves against the best in Poland,” says Dariusz Kwaśniewski, a member of the County Board.
“Every day we do a great deal for our students, and for most of us our work is also… our hobby, our passion. We did not know whether our activities stood out compared with those of other local governments. That is why we decided to submit ourselves to an external institution’s assessment,” says Alicja Krzyszczak, head of the Education Department.
After a lengthy formal and substantive evaluation procedure, the Foundation’s experts made their decision. In September, Bolesławiec County received notification of the distinction it had been awarded. On 30 November in Kraków, the certificate was collected by Alicja Krzyszczak, Dariusz Kwaśniewski and Cezary Przybylski. “The certificate we received proves that education is truly our strong point. I would like to emphasise that the distinction was awarded to only four local governments in Lower Silesia: Wrocław, Chojnów Municipality, Duszniki Zdrój and our county. I am proud of this distinction,” says Cezary Przybylski, the Bolesławiec County Governor.
“This is a success for all of us—for directors and teachers, as well as for County Office officials responsible for education. We have an idea for running our schools and have been implementing it consistently… for 13 years now. The high quality of our schools’ work is the result of this continuity, professionalism and the passion within us. I would particularly like to thank the head of the Education Department and Helena Paliga-Baraniecka, who proposed the form of the report submitted for assessment, for this certificate. We will try again next year too!” says Dariusz Kwaśniewski.
The “Local Government Leader in Education—2011 Edition” competition was organised by the Foundation for the Development of Education and Higher Education under the patronage of the European Parliament and the Chair of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland’s Local Government and Regional Policy Committee.
(information: County Office / ii)