Higher Teacher Education Schools as a form of training visual arts education teachers for primary schools

Abstract

The establishment of Higher Teacher Education Schools is connected with the 1961 reform of the Polish education system implemented from 1962 to 1968. The reform, whose goal was inter
alia to modernize the teacher training system, gave rise to the idea of establishing higher vocational schools with a three‑year course of instruction. The graduates would receive general training to teach
in primary school grades 1 to 4, and specialist training to teach one or two related subjects in grades 5 to 8. The organization of Higher Teacher Education Schools took their two forms into consideration:
independent schools and schools organized as part of higher pedagogical schools (colleges) and universities. Visual arts education training was conducted as part of the art education study program combined with early (grades 1–3) education or as an independent extramural program “visual arts education” for graduates of vocational teacher training schools (lower teacher training colleges). The curricula prepared by the Ministry of Education and Higher Learning comprised social‑political
and philosophy courses, pedagogical subjects and specialist courses in two disciplines. In 1973 after a new teacher education reform, the Higher Teacher Education Schools were transformed into independent higher pedagogical colleges, or university branches or faculties.