The beginnings of the Raciążek School date back to the interwar period. Then, it functioned as a 6-grade primary school. With the outbreak of World War II, classes were suspended, and the nazi occupier's repressive measures hurt a great number of teachers' families.
After the war, the now 7-grade primary school reopened. However, the premises problems that had been encountered, prompted the construction of a new school building. The inhabitants of Raciążek and the neighboring villages - students and their parents began to carry out their civic responsibilities, and build the school. The outcome was a new, spacious school building. It started to function in 1957, and in 1973 it was converted into a Collective Communal School.
The then school headmaster Zbigniew Kącki started to encourage the search for a proper patron for the school. The preparatory work took almost a year - the patron and all the information concerning it was gathered. The whole school community decided to choose The National Education Board, emphasizing at the same time its modern educational standards. The National Education Board - the first ministry of public education, was brought into being during the partition Seym (Polish parliament session) of October 14th, 1773. The Board, made up of the most outstanding and enlightened people of that time: Andrzej Zamoyski, Michał Poniatowski, Joachim Chreptowicz, Ignacy Potocki, Adam Kazimierz Czartoryski, Grzegorz Piramowicz, worked out a new curriculum, created the faculty, sub-faculty, and parish schools system, and higher education schools in Krakow and Wilno.
In 1775, on Ignacy Potocki's own initiative, the Society for Elementary Books was established. It was to coordinate the work on new textbooks, but quite soon it began to work on the new curricula and secondary schools performance.
The creators of the educational system reform believed that its main goal was to raise a good person and a good citizen. The process of nationalization and standardization of all schools on all levels by the KEN (National Education Board) was accompanied by education of the national character. Apart from making the mother tongue the language of instruction, the KEN commended to provide all students with the most extensive knowledge of Poland possible. The knowledge of all details connected with the nation's life would give good foundation for civil and patriotic education. This, in turn, would help the students to understand what needs to be done in their adult life to ensure a happy future for Poland.
On October 23rd, 1974, the school was named the National Education Board School. At that time, an interesting initiative was introduced - an annual Commune's Administrator's Award for the best graduate. This beautiful custom has survived until this day.
In the 1980's a major overhaul was carried out. It included complete modernization of the whole building, three attic rooms were turned into a classroom, a library and a scouts' room.
With the beginning of the 1990's, in the face of all the changes in the country, the functioning of the school changed as well. Since January 1st, 1996, communes were made responsible for running of all schools. They now held the responsibility for the school's administration and finance management. Thanks to the Commune's support, the material and teaching base was improved in our school, and the interiors of the building were refurbished. Since the education reform of September 1999, some organizational changes were introduced. Primary school became a 6-grade school, and older students continue their education in a 3-grade Grammar School that is located in the same building as the Primary School. At the same time, the school acquired a beautiful, well-equipped computer room.
Both institutions have been functioning well to provide all schoolchildren with broad education and development, and good care. The best proof for that is the fact that our graduates have been doing really well in secondary schools. The grammar school exam carried out last year (in accordance with the new reform), showed that the students are well prepared for secondary school. However, despite all the successes, the lack of a proper gym was a major problem for students as well as the teachers. The small gym that the Primary School used, did not meet the needs of the community. Hence, the idea to build a new gym was born, and the decision of the Commune Committee put that idea into practice. By October 2002 the new building was ready, and the grand opening took place on October 17th. Both, the Primary and Grammar School have been using this gym since then.
Written by Mrs Renata Pietrusińska
Translated by Mr Jerzy Serafin