The Borderless School: Globalization of Polish Education

This article considers globalization of education in an emerging democracy. In the 1990s, Poland transformed from communism to liberal democracy. The Third Republic of Poland successfully transformed from autarchy to cosmopolitanism. The article considers profound educational change caused by external forces. Many of these changes were catalyzed by new openness and globalization. The fall of communism was among the most decisive events of the 20th century. It enabled deep societal change in Central Europe, which in turn, triggered massive restructuring of education. The 1990s transition decade became an unprecedented laboratory for tracing educational change during a revolutionary shift.

Methodologically, the article focuses on intertwined global, regional, and local forces affecting the postcommunist education system. In this time of social upheaval, the connections between Polish education, Polish society, and the world proved to be particularly strong. The sudden exposure of formerly isolated Poland facilitated educational change and internationalized education on an unprecedented scale. Many empirical examples of globalization in Polish education are cited.