POSITION AND ROLE OF EDUCATION UNDER REFORM IN THE TRANSFORMATION PROCESS OF POMERANIAN LOCAL COMMUNITIES (BASED ON EMPIRICAL RESEARCH) (Polish title - below)

(Title in Polish - 'Miejsce i rola reformujacej sie edukacji w procesie transformacji ustrojowej spolecznosci lokalnych Pomorza – w swietle badan empirycznych'). In the region of Western and Mid Pomerania evaluations and opinions concerning the matter of the availability of secondary schools close to where people live seem to be very similar. The arrangement of these opinions, however, is definitely different. The biggest city agglomerations are clearly privileged, which for certain reasons is understandable. This causes the strengthening of the feeling of discrimination in many aspects in small towns and rural communities, often up to the point of feeling to be the provinces of the region. Economic and developmental factors usually responsible for such situations do not seem to be very convincing. Especially the lack of extracurricular activities, not mentioning their level, has a relatively negative impact on the way adolescents perceive their chances for individual development in smaller rural communities, far from big agglomerations. It has often been manifested among the citizens of the so-called post-PGR ('Panstwowe Gospodarstwo Rolne' - state-owned farm) villages. In the region of Pomerania the preparation of young people to function in the EU is evaluated relatively highly. It is very probable that this is a form of an indirect acceptance of the education system in towns and regions. In this context, all the critical comments and willingness to move out of the place of origin should also be seen as a desire for further improvement and individual development, without regard for being used to living in one place. This, of course, does not change the fact that in the region of Western and Mid Pomerania many disproportions and uneven chances can still be noticed. The basis for such a situation is to a great extent the still noticeable lack of integration of local communities in many small towns. The research made has shown that in spite of many changes for better there is still a lot to be done.