Ян Герчински

1. Support to Decentralisation
in Ukraine – 2014-2017
Децентралізація освіти in
Poland
Ян Герчиньскі
SKL International
„Підтримка децентралізації в Україні”
м. Київ, March 2, 2016 року

2. Support to Decentralisation
in Ukraine – 2014-2017
Origin of decentralization in Poland
• In 1989, first non-Communist government of
PM Tadeusz Mazowiecki begun reforms of all
sectors of Polish state
• The main goal was to create market economy
and a democratic state
– Market economy: reforms of Leszek Balcerowicz
– Democratic state: decentralization of the country
J. Herczyński: Decentralizationof Education 2

3. Support to Decentralisation
in Ukraine – 2014-2017
Decentralization as state-building
• Need to destroy inherited national
bureaucracy managing all levels of powers
• The instrument: radical decentralization of the
basic element of the structure – gminas
• Immediate local elections change 99.9% of
local councils and heads of administrations
J. Herczyński: Decentralizationof Education 3

4. Support to Decentralisation
in Ukraine – 2014-2017
Reforms in education sector
• Minister Samsonowicz started significant
reforms in all areas of education
– Professional autonomy of teachers: Teaching
according to what one believes
– Content: overhaul of all curricula and textbooks
– School directors: new rules to select
• Decentralization was not the priority
J. Herczyński: Decentralizationof Education 4

5. Support to Decentralisation
in Ukraine – 2014-2017
Structure of education system
Polish education system in 1990:
• Preschools (3 grades, starting at 4 years)
• Primary schools (8 grades, starting at 7 years)
• Secondary schools (starting at 15 years):
– General academic lyceum (4 grades)
– Technical schools (5 grades)
– Basic vocational schools (3 grades)
J. Herczyński: Decentralizationof Education 5

6. Support to Decentralisation
in Ukraine – 2014-2017
Decentralization of education
• Decentralization was key policy priority of the
government and education had to adapt
• The first subsector of education to be
decentralized was preschooleducation
– Transferred to gminas as own function in 1990
– Financed from own revenuesof gminas
– Many preschools were closed by gminas
J. Herczyński: Decentralizationof Education 6

7. Support to Decentralisation
in Ukraine – 2014-2017
Primary schools
Decentralization of primary schools was delayed
and introduced in phases:
• Voluntary between 1993-1996
– On the basis of bilateral agreements
– Fiancing individually negotiated with gminas
• Obligatory from 1996
– Introduction of education subvention with a
national formula („algorithm”)
J. Herczyński: Decentralizationof Education 7

8. Support to Decentralisation
in Ukraine – 2014-2017
Secondary schools
Decentralization of secondary schools had to
wait till introduction of second tier of local
governments, called powiats, in 1999
• Failed experiment in „Large cities” in 1996
• Obligatory in 1999
• Regions received limited education functions
– A few schools of national importance
– Pedagogical libraries and similar institutions
J. Herczyński: Decentralizationof Education 8

9. Support to Decentralisation
in Ukraine – 2014-2017
The founder of school
Education law of 1990 introduced a key concept
for education decentralization school founder
• Law clearly defines who is the founder of
different types of education institutions
• Law clearly defines the functions and
responsibilities of school founder
J. Herczyński: Decentralizationof Education 9

10. Support to Decentralisation
in Ukraine – 2014-2017
School founders in 1990
The law had to assign the role of school founder
to each education institution
• Founders of preschools were gminas
• Founders of private schools were their owners
• Founders of all other schools in 1990 were
kuratoria, the regional representativesof the
Ministry of Education
J. Herczyński: Decentralizationof Education 10

11. Support to Decentralisation
in Ukraine – 2014-2017
Process of decentralization
Accordingly, two paralel processes of
decentralization of education:
• Successive transfer of schools and other
institutions from kuratoria to local
governments
• Successive strengthening of the role of school
founder
J. Herczyński: Decentralizationof Education 11

12. Support to Decentralisation
in Ukraine – 2014-2017
Successive transfer of responsibilities
• 1990 – Preschoolsto gminas
• 1993 – Primary schools to gminas (voluntary)
• 1996 – Primary schools to gminas (all)
• 1999 – Secondary schools to powiats
• 1999 – Different education institutions to
regions
J. Herczyński: Decentralizationof Education 12

13. Support to Decentralisation
in Ukraine – 2014-2017
Strengthening the role of school founder
• Role of school founder was slowly
strengthenedin many important areas
• We will discuss three key examples:
– Closing and opening of schools
– Selection of school directors
– Setting of school budgets
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14. Support to Decentralisation
in Ukraine – 2014-2017
Closing and opening of schools
• Initially, school could be closed only with the
written approval of kurator
– Kurator defended many schools from closure
• In 1999, only an opinion of kurator was
required to close a school
– Negative opinion was important for stakeholders
• Since 2002, not even an opinion was needed
• Since 2016, again an approval is needed
J. Herczyński: Decentralizationof Education 14

15. Support to Decentralisation
in Ukraine – 2014-2017
Selection of school directors
• Since 1989, school directors were selected by
ad hoc commissions with representativesof
trade unions, parents and kurator
• Since 1990, school founder was included
• Composition of the commission is clearly
specified in the laws
– Is one of the most often changed article of the law
on education
J. Herczyński: Decentralizationof Education 15

16. Support to Decentralisation
in Ukraine – 2014-2017
Setting school budgets
• Iinitially, required written approval by school
founder and kurator
– Kurator assessed the teaching plan of the school
– Founder assessed its financial implications
• Over time, opinion of kurator became less
important
– Since 2002, no need for opinion of kurator
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17. Support to Decentralisation
in Ukraine – 2014-2017
Lessons for Ukraine
• Decentralization of education is a slow proces
during which all actors have to learn
• Clear definitions in the laws are important for
orderly proces
• Laws need to be regularly changed to move
the proces along
J. Herczyński: Decentralizationof Education 17

18. Support to Decentralisation
in Ukraine – 2014-2017
Дякую!
J. Herczyński Challenges of Education
Decentralization
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