The Polish school system in the second half of the 18th century was going through a crisis. The school, based on outdated curricula and teaching methods, could not provide good education. Reforms were needed as quickly as possible. The situation deteriorated further in 1773, after the dissolution of the Jesuit Order and the liquidation of the schools it ran. At the Sejm in 1773, MP Joachim Chreptowicz proposed that education be taken over by the state. An appropriate act was passed and on October 14, 1773, a secular educational authority was established - the "National Education Commission". The lack of experience, financial resources and, above all, lay teaching staff forced the commission to appeal to the diocesan and religious clergy to take up teaching work in primary and secondary schools. Many orders responded to this appeal - including: the Bernardines also responded positively and opened about 45 schools (including 10 universities) in their five religious voivodeships: Greater Poland, Lesser Poland, Galician, Ruthenian and Lithuanian. In their teaching practice, they were guided by the recommendations of the National Education Commission. Schools in monasteries were maintained by individual monasteries with the help of patrons from noble and middle class circles. The teachers in these schools were religious people. In higher schools, the number of teachers ranged from 5 to 9 people, in primary schools from 2 to 3. In higher schools, the number of students reached as many as 400-500, as in Traszkuny, or 200-300, as in Telszech and Datnów. The number of students in primary schools was smaller and ranged from a dozen to a hundred. The educational activities of the Bernardines in Lithuania were suspended as a result of repression by the Russian authorities (liquidation of monasteries).