This article is an analysis, based on school textbooks, of the norms governing literacy practices in elementary education. These latter are treated as a kind of ritual: the symbolic behaviour impacting not so much the manner of the mental representation of reality as the corporeal-perceptive organization of experience. The aim of the article is to show that (1) contrary to classic literacy theory, writing is not always a tec because in many situational and institutional contexts writing practices are not instrumental but ritual practices, and (2) writing is not solely a tool of the intellect corresponding to a set manner of conceptualizing the world, language, and the self, but also a kind of social tool for the discipline of the body: the acquiring of a certain corporeal-perceptive disposition.

This study aims at exploring the conceptualisations of writing in the language-oriented Curricula of Polish and South African education in Grades 4–8 and 4–9, respectively. Using Ivanič's model we show how writing is framed in literacy education in Poland and South Africa. The findings suggest in general that curriculum developers in both countries tend to view writing as a set of genres and skills. Comparisons made between Polish and South African curricula reveal some differences both in conceptualising writing and in the presence of discourses of writing. In comparison to the Polish curricula, the South African ones are much more detailed, which what can mainly be traced back to their different formal structure. Nevertheless, implications for policy and curriculum development in both countries include a need for greater consideration of the complexities of writing.

The motif of the so-called “critique of writing” in the Phaedrus has received much attention from contemporary commentators of Plato. Less attention has been paid to the explicit praise of writing and the project of making all citizens literate presented in the Laws. Because in the Phaedrus there is talk of writing of every sort (including legal documents), the question arises whether Plato changed his attitude to writing in the Laws. The present discussion places the Platonic reflection on writing and speech in the broader context of the ambivalent attitude of fourth-century BC Athenians to writing and written laws. It is demonstrated, first, that Plato criticizes writing to the same extent to which he praises it; second, that if his criticism includes writing, it also includes verbal teachings and all oral compositions.

Public education is educating influence of wide range media on political beliefs, worldviews and patterns of the everyday life of the audience, and of the potential electorate. The public intellectuals (the Henry A. Giroux concept), significant and respected experts (academics, journalists, politicians) play a special role. The article contains the presentation and analysis of the reaction of American public intellectuals to the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States – from the perspective of critical-emancipatory pedagogy. These are extremely critical to the consequences of D. Trump's choice: Ken Wilber's, Henry A. Giroux’s, Noam Chomsky’s, and several authors in the Berkeley Review of Education 2017/1 publications and speeches are recalled. The author concludes that Poland no longer has to imitate America, because in authoritarian drift (turn) it is ahead of it.