The All-Polish Congress on the Child of 1938 – an undervalued pedagogical event of the Second Polish Republic

Abstract

Until recently, there has been relatively little research on the all-Polish Congress on the Child that was held in Warsaw on 2-4 October, 1938. It was a climax of the actions undertaken at that time “to mobilize the whole society for struggling for children’s rights and to accelerate legislative works and the foundation of the modern child welfare system.” The conclusions accepted by the Congress stressed, among other things, that all the institutions that can aid the family should be developed. The Congress was an excellent opportunity for confronting the state and the needs of child care in interwar Poland. It made it possible for many circles and institutions to present their attitudes and views on the child, with respect to various issues. However, possible attempts for implementing the Congress’ programmes of change and improvement of the child’s situation must have failed due to the outbreak of the Second World War.