Polskie szkolnictwo w kanadyjskim London

Abstract

Poles settling down in London, Ontario from the second half of the 19th century, for a rather long time dispersed in the town and its surroundings, were lost in the general population of nationally and culturally differentiated inhabitants. The situation was considerably changed beginning from the years after World War I, when, as result of the realization of the necessity of working together – the Polish National Association was founded in order to defend the common interests of the local Polish community. To be sure, the greatest achievement of the PNA in its history was establishing the Stanisław Staszic Polish School in London in 1927. At the beginning about 40 children were educated there by one teacher. After World War II the number of pupils and teachers grew systematically, reaching its culmination in 1999. The school numbered 560 children and 25 teachers then. It is well-understood that in its nearly 80-year history the curriculum, as well as the way it functioned, changed. For many years the school was financed by Polish community organizations, the Polish Our Lady of Częstochowa parish, and by the parents. From 1976, however, most of the financial burden was taken over by the Separate School Board of Education that among others paid the teachers and financed the school’s pedagogical-educational activities. This picture of the extraordinarily inspiring and integrating role of the deserved educational institution is complemented by another Polish school that existed in London in the 70s of the 20th century, named after Bolesław Prus (it was founded as an expression of contestation and objection to the Stanisław Staszic School), which numbered 36 pupils at its prime, as well as by the Summer School of the Polish Language, that enjoys a lot of interest, even though it only works periodically.