Polish Educational Institutions Abroad

Abstract

Ethnic educational system has a very important role to play in the gradual process of the entering of one national group into a different community. Ethnic music groups, schools and additional training courses help to complete the process of integration and at the same time preserve the cultural values of the group. Polish emigrants realized that, and from the very outset of their settling in new territories they established their own schools.

In this paper Polish educational institutions abroad and their influence on the process of integration are presented selectively on the basis of the data from three countries: Great Britain, Germany and the USA. In each of these countries the concentration of Polish population was high and in each Polish educational system developed in entirely different conditions.

From among outside-school educational institutions amateur folk-dance groups and summer-holiday visits to Poland were of particular importance for national education. Teaching, if separated from its living source — ie. Poland — becomes abstract for both the teacher and the student. Therefore, frequent visits to the old country, participation in summer-holidays organized in Poland in Summer Schools on Polish language and Culture is the most desirable means of strengthening the ties with one’s parents’ homeland.

It only needs to be noted that no, or little knowledge of the Polish language does not necessarily mean destroying the bonds with Poland. Young Poles living all over the world rush to learn as much as possible about Poland in their own language. Thus, lectures and publications on Polish history, culture and contemporary life in Poland, even in other languages, can be a valuable supplement to Polish education abroad.