In the 1740-50s in the PR schools a large-scale reform was carried out, according to which the courses of practical disciplines were significantly expanded: mathematics and natural science, secular humanities and foreign languages. In addition the newly introduced subjects were to be taught using new textbooks written or translated by PR. The initiator of educational changes was Stanislav Kanarsky, who in 1741 occupied the post of the head of the province of the Order of PR in Poland. S. Kanarsky has prepared a new grammar of the Latin language by himself. "Without a grammar the structure of all sciences as if erected without a foundation probably are loose and collapsed" he said. The textbook was called "the PR Latin grammar" ("GRAMMATYKA LACINSKA PIJARSKA"). The book was published from time to time anonymously without specific name of the author. It was introduced in all domestic PR schools and through simple and understandable explanation has become popular and was reprinted couple of times.
The exposition of the Museum of Local Lore contains the "GRAMMATYKA LACINSKA PIJARSKA" of the 1824 edition, which was published in Berdichev at the Carmelite barefoot printing house. Pupils of the Polotsk Higher PR School could use this book, which was transferred to Polotsk from Vitebsk in 1822 and located in the buildings of the former Jesuit Academy until 1830. The textbook differed from its predominantly Latin-speaking predecessors in the presentation of three quarters of theoretical material in Polish. The training material is in the form of questions and answers. The grammar is divided into 4 parts: about spelling, about parts of speech, about syntax, about prasody. At the end is a Latin-Polish dictionary. An interesting section is "Expressions that young people should translate from the language of ancient authors and not without benefit to memorize by heart," which offered cruise expressions about wisdom and justice, patience and respect as well as other human qualities.
