Financial support for high school students in the light of the minutes from the Public Education Board meetings 1845-1850

Abstract

The Public Education Board, the primary educational institution of the Kingdom of Poland, also called "the supreme school authority", functioned in the years 1833-1867. It took over a number of competencies formerly held by the Government Commission for Religious Denominations and Public Education. This paper attempts to analyse the Board's decisions regarding various forms of financial support for students in the years 1845-1850. Said resolutions can be divided into three groups. The first included exemptions from school fees for pupils whose poverty was well documented by a certificate from education authorities. The second group featured all cases of granting scholarships under preexisting foundation regulations. Finally, the third batch was concerned with regulating fees, i.e. tuition fees in various types of schools. The entries found in the minutes of the Board's meetings evidence that the provisions governing the use of financial support were strictly followed, regardless whether the source of the funds was the Government or some private foundations.