Giertych's first test

The first day of school this year proved a volatile one for Education Minister Roman Giertych. Opponents of his proposed reforms gathered at the Ministry of Education in Warsaw to protest against his proposals and demand that he step down. Not to be outdone, Giertych's supporters held a counter-demonstration at the Ministry. Protests were also held in Toruń and Olsztyn.

Giertych himself was not in the Ministry when the demonstrations took place. He attended a mass and a ceremony at one of the schools where he set out the foundations of his program for what he calls the sanitation ("sanacja") of the Polish education system. The program is based on four pillars: "order, patriotism, prestige and truth."

It is the teaching of patriotism which is proving the most controversial. "The Ministry of Education under the aegis of Poland's President will supervise the work on new Polish and history textbooks. We will also implement a national program of youth trips to places of historical interest and places of national remembrance," he wrote in a letter sent out to all schools. Opponents argue this amounts to indoctrination rather than education.

Students are also upset at the Minister's proposals to retroactively set easier standards for passing the Matura exam. They say this will reduce the legitimacy of the test.

Civic Platform (PO) strongly criticized Giertych's reform program. Deputy Krystyna Szumilas, responsible for education in PO's shadow cabinet, said that Giertych was creating chaos in the education system.