Dear e-mentor Readers,

Last months were the long-anticipated time of completion of legislative works on alteration in the act on higher education. Its consecutive stages, occurring in the Ministry of Science and Higher Education as well as during sessions of Sejm committee and sub-committee, are accompanied by a discussion among academics. The news about established projects of regulation and their evaluation by academic community are regularly delivered by media. There also exist such areas of alteration that seem essential, yet are not broadly analyzed by media. Those issues, in the eve of parliamentary voting, are presented in „e-mentor”.

Also, one should pay attention to the works initiated in the Ministry of Science and Higher Education tending to alteration in the act on education system. They consider the regulations that are to enable schools teach via Internet and include online lessons to the curriculum base. This is an important step, which should support e-learning development in education. However, it also poses some threats. The experience in higher education suggests that introducing law regulations of distance teaching may have negative consequences for the popularization of this form and for modernization of didactics with the use of technological innovations.

The issues concerning changes, the need for reforms and challenges faced by education sector are brought by current issue of „e-mentor” several times. The discussion of legislative alterations is complemented by an analysis of challenges faced by the system of higher education in Europe and a study concerning transformations, which have modernized British educational system. This issue also presents the results of a research indicating the need for changes in economic education of Polish youth and the example of good practices in supporting the development of teenagers' key competences. Finally, a case of knowledge popularization through knowledge festivals is also presented.
I wish you pleasant reading!

Chief editor
Marcin Dąbrowski