Contemporary Nursery School as the Place of the Formationof Intercultural Competences

Abstract

The process of globalisation makes the educational system face new challenges. One of themis the need to provide a young generation with intercultural competences rendering it possible tobe a participant in the life a society in a complete and conscious manner. The accession of Polandto the European Union has opened to the inhabitants of our country the possibilities of travelling,pursuing professional career and settling down in different countries. The membership of theEuropean Union, and also the economic development of our country, is also bringing about theincrease in the number of foreigners in Poland. Polish society is losing its mono-cultural profile.More and more people who are not of Polish origin, who are not Catholics, who are not the representatives of the Caucasian race, are the citizens of our country.Therefore, Polish school is facing the task of preparing a young generation to living in a multi-cultural world. That means, on the one hand, the task of retaining identity by Poles in the conditions of multi-culturality, whereas, on the other one, shaping the attitudes of openness and respectfor different cultures. The role of pre-school education in fulfilling this task is seen as a major one.This article presents the manner in which the assumptions of intercultural education are implemented in Polish nursery schools.