Genetic research was banned in the Polish People's Republic from 1949 to 1956 as a result of the activities of Trofim D. Lysenko, a pseudo-biologist in the Soviet Union. This article examines the impact upon education in biology in Poland, including textbook revision, curriculum reform and revised understandings of the purpose of scientific research. Most importantly, it focuses on the impact of scientific controversies upon the relationship between teachers and students. (Contains 98 footnotes.)