SELECTED PROBLEMS OF PRESTATIVE ADMINISTRATION
IN PERFORMING EDUCATIONAL PUBLIC TASKS
BY LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT
Public education in the Republic of Poland is a “common good” and is considered as one of the most important public administration tasks. Tiers of Polish local self-government should perform educational public tasks on the basis, and within the limits, of the law. Shaping of the local policy making with regard to education should be built on universal values, referred to by the Polish educational system which implements constitutional principles and provisions. However, present-day school closures and network consolidation — transferring students who attend these schools and handing over the public task of running public schools to, inter alia private entities, NGOs, foundations, associations, is a very visible phenomenon in the local authorities’ management of educational services. The impact of the aforementioned phenomenon shows the scope of obligations of local self-government in performing educational public tasks in the light of the Act on the School Education System of 7 September 1991. Moreover, it helps to evaluate the results of measures introduced by local communities to deal with this issue. For local self-government authorities, the main triggers for systematic searching for more efficient ways of performing public tasks in the sphere of education are: the adverse population trend resulting in a decrease in the number of students, the rising costs of education and decreasing financial problems in the public sector.