Problems of the Development of Education in the Ternopil Voivodeship (1918–1939) in Polish Historiography

Abstract

The article presents a historiographical analysis of the problems of educational development in the Ternopil Voivodeship in 1918–1939 as reflected in the works of Polish scholars. The aim of the study is to systematize the main approaches of contemporary Polish historiography to the study of educational processes in the region, as well as to clarify the specific features of interpreting state educational policy, the material and technical condition of schooling, personnel processes, and the ideological foundations of the educational process. The paper analyzes scholarly contributions devoted to teacher training, the implementation of assimilation policies, the functioning of the school system in the «Eastern Borderlands», interethnic relations within the school environment, and the socio-economic conditions of educational development. The scientific novelty lies in the comprehensive generalization of Polish historiographical interpretations of educational processes in the Ternopil Voivodeship, which have not previously been the subject of a separate study. Dominant concepts, methodological approaches, and controversial aspects in interpreting the role of education as an instrument of state policy in border regions are identified. It is demonstrated that Polish historiography primarily considers the school as a mechanism for the formation of  «state patriotism» and a means of national unification, which, in a multiethnic environment, led to the intensification of interethnic tensions. The conclusions emphasize that Polish researchers have achieved significant results in studying the legal, socio-economic, and ideological aspects of the functioning of the educational system. However, educational processes in the region are predominantly interpreted through the lens of state policy, resulting in insufficient attention to the experiences of national minorities, particularly the Ukrainian population. The necessity of further interdisciplinary and comparative research, involving a broader range of sources, is substantiated, which will contribute to a more balanced understanding of the development of education in the Ternopil Voivodeship during the interwar period.