Polish Education in Great Britain
by: Guest
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Word Count: 441
During the past few months there has been quite a loud debate within the British Polish Community regarding the future of the Polish education system in Great Britain. It has been largely inspired by Mieczyslaw Olszewski, the owner of the London based Polish magazine Goniec Polski, who has proposed the creation of a Polish Middle School for Polish children newly arrived in Great Britain. Setting up such a school would cost in the region of £10 million, and the idea has been discussed on the TV Polonia channel, with a ball having taken place to raise money for the venture. Even Barbara Tuge-Erecinska , the new Polish Ambassador to the UK, has entered into the debate. In an interview published in the Times on February 10, 2007, she suggested that Polish should be taught as a second foreign language in schools where there are many Polish pupils. The system of learning Polish in the UK from World War Two up until the present has largely been based on the Polish Saturday school system. Despite the fact that the level of Polish teaching in such schools may be open to question, the fact remains that they have stood the test of time, existing for well over 50 years and serving the needs of Polish émigré children born in the UK who were at the same time studying full time within the British education system. Perhaps it would be better and more cost effective to develop and strengthen the already existing educational structures, taking into account the fact that today’s Polish children will also be mainly participating full time within the British educational system. At the same time Polish multimedia courses could be promoted and TV Polonia used a medium to teach the Polish language, literature, history and geography. The Polish UK educational system should indeed face up to today’s challenges and demands, where fluency in Polish and English opens up many chances in the employment as well as general social fields. Let’s not also forget that many British adults, who have been to Poland or perhaps have Polish friends, may well wish themselves to experience the wonders of the Polish language and culture. The same is true for British Poles who wish to improve their Polish language skills. Indeed, they may be prepared to pay several hundred pounds a term for good quality Polish education and hence help to finance the running of such a school. Hopefully this debate will lead to a realistic approach to the whole matter, with cost-effective and sensible solutions being applied. More information could be found at <a href="http://www.anglus.pl">Anglus.pl
- the biggest Polish Community portal in United Kingdom.</a>
About the Author
Andrzej Tutkaj Tutkaj Services Federation of Poles in Great Britain activist Born in the United Kingdom More information could be found at <a href="http://www.anglus.pl">Anglus.pl
- the biggest Polish Community portal in United Kingdom.</a>
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