1. POLISH CULTURE AS IT RELATES TO EDUCATION

2. CULTURAL OVERVIEW Polish is the official language of Poland, they share some vocabulary with Slavic nations like Slovak, Czech, Ukrainian, and Belarusian. Religion and family are very important in the culture. The most important holidays are Christmas and All Saints Day ( honoring those that have past on.) Family is the center of the social structure, a line is drawn between inner circle ( family, family friends and business network) these are the people they can rely on. Greetings are reserved but courteous, they do not use first names unless incited to do so. This is an important step into the inner circle and is celebrated. 2

3. POLISH EDUCATION Age 5 or 6 – “0” class Kindergarten Age 6 to 7 – 1 st Grade of Primary School Compulsory Education for 9 years After the first 6 years they join gymnasium for 3 years of Lower Secondary Education Upper Secondary Education has alternatives such as 3 years of a Liceum or 4 years in Technikum both end in a maturity exam Several Upper Education options to achieve Bachelor ( licencjat or inxynier) Master (magister) and PhD (doktor) The whole system of Education is 22 years of uninterrupted school 3

4. IDEAS FOR ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF STUDENTS FROM POLISH CULTURE Remember Education is taken very seriously in the Polish culture so communication is key with students and with the families The culture is a little more formal so don’t be overwhelming to the children or family to gain trust Know that it means a lot when a child from Poland attaches to you Relate things back to past experiences and or family as much as possible this is very important to them Keep things as engaging as possible Be patient and let them share stories from home to help them feel more comfortable in social situations 4

5. RESOURCES http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/poland.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Poland 5