EDUCATION OF POLISH NATIONAL MINORITY IN THE REPUBLIC OF BELARUS – LAW, MODELS OF ORGANIZATION AND EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES

The article deals with the issue of the educational system of Polish national minority in the Republic of Belarus. In spite of the fact that citizens of Polish origin have always been very numerous there, they had been deprived of national education for almost 50 years (1949-1988). The situation changed in the period of “perestroika”, when members of the Polish minority were allowed to introduce lessons of the Polish language into schools. However, only the collapse of the USSR and the establishment of the independent Republic of Belarus caused a radical change in the status quo. According to the Byelorussian legislation, Poles have been able to open Polish schools and/or courses. As a result Polish national education underwent a period of rapid development which lasted until 2005. The article presents the domestic law of the republic and bilateral agreements (between Poland and the Republic of Belarus), enabling the Polish minority to develop their own system of education. It also shows several examples of organizational models of teaching the Polish language that function within the framework of the state educational system and beyond. The paper gives an overview of the extent and tendencies in the development of the Polish national education in Belarus.