'Most of our teachers graduated from Lithuanian universities and that is why they need additional training in Polish terminology. After a few years of studying in Lithuanian, teaching in Polish can be a bit problematic' said Juzef Kvetkovskij, chairman of the Association of Polish Schools Teachers in Lithuania 'Macierz Szkolna' (Polish Educational Society). The organization, aware of this problem, has been paying attention to additional training for Polish school teachers in Lithuania since the beginning of its functioning (it is celebrating 25th anniversary this year). Thanks to the cooperation of the Polish Educational Society with many educational societies in Poland, organization of training trips is possible
'The training of teachers has been run for many years and is still on top,' marked the chairman.
Such trips were extremely numerous at the very first years of the functioning of the Polish Educational Society - during the rebirth of Polish education in Lithuania. Then there was a huge need for educating teachers from the Vilnius Region.
Valuable experience
When speaking about the beginning of the organization's activity, Kristina Dzeržinska, the vice chairwoman of the Polish Educational Society, said that the Polonia Teachers Centre in Lublin was an establishment which offered biggest variety of schooling. 'Many have perfected their skills there, i.e. Polish teachers, primary school teachers, music teachers, choreographers from Poland and the whole world with a particular acknowledgement for educators from the East' said Dzeržinska. Teachers' Education Centre in Gdańsk is another great educational organization that has been inviting teachers from the Vilnius Region for 20 years now.
The experience of Poland was unusually important in the time of formation of Polish pre-school groups in independent Lithuania. Higher Pedagogical University of Słupsk was helpful in improving skills of pre-school teachers from the Vilnius Region. 'Słupsk has been receiving even 2 groups of teachers from Lithuania during summer holidays. Over 300 people were trained in total,' said Mrs Kristina. She also mentioned that Podlaski branch of Association 'Polish Community' in Białystok helped a lot in schooling pre-school and primary school teachers. The experience gained in Poland helped a lot in increasing level of Polish pre-school institutions in Lithuania. 'At one conference our educators could demonstrate higher level of education than their Lithuanian counterparts,' recalled the vice-chairman with satisfaction. She also added, that the Speech Therapy Clinic in Białystok also offered very valuable training for pre-school teachers and speech therapists, as there were no Polish speech therapists in Lithuania at all.
Better possibilities
Throughout the years, educators from the Vilnius Region were attending workshops in Gdynia, Wrocław, Katowice, and Łódź, organized by academies and resorts of teachers development. The Association 'Polish Community' and the foundation 'Aid to Poles in the East' offers valuable and wide range of training courses. And although Polish teachers have the widest possibilities of trainings, teachers of other subjects are not omitted. For example, teachers of physical education from Lithuania were additionally trained in Gorzów Wielkopolski in the Academy of Physical Education, while history teachers were invited to attend workshops in the Institute of National Remembrance. Also management staff of Polish schools in Lithuania took part in trainings in Poland.
'Our teachers have better possibilities than educators of Lithuanian schools because they train in Lithuanian institutions and have the possibility to attend additional training in Poland,' said Kvetkovskij. This influences the level of education in Polish schools in Lithuania. He also noted that this additional schooling is free for our teachers because it is funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland. Sometimes teachers have to pay only for the journey, but still municipalities usually cover these costs as well. Meanwhile in Lithuania teachers have to pay for every single training. 'Another direction of schooling which is particularly developing today, is organization of activities for teachers here in Vilnius. This is very convenient for our educators, as they do not need to travel and disrupt their work,' added Kvetkovskij.
Rise of school theatres
According to Dzeržinska, the theatre course organized in Białystok was very valuable for the teachers from Lithuania. 'More than 80 teachers have finished this training in the course of 10 years. It was a period of greatest bloom of school theatres in the Vilnius Region' noted Kristina Dzeržinska. Moreover, courses (organized in Białystok too) for Polish teachers who prepare reciters should also be mentioned as useful ones.
'A Resort of Teachers Training with its headquarters in Ostróda have was founded under the Association 'Polish Community'. Quite a lot of our biology teachers, primary school teachers, Polish and other teachers took advantage of it. Training for music teachers took place just a few weeks ago,' announced the vice chairwoman of the Polish Educational Society. She added that often teachers themselves come up with the initiatives of additional training.
Polish Educational Society does not know the exact number of teachers in Lithuania taking part in additional trainings in Poland, as lots of courses are based on the idea of the patronage of schools, cooperation between municipalities, etc. Furthermore, teachers now have an opportunity to take part in projects organised by the European Union, like Erasmus. 'But about 200 people attend workshops in Poland every year,' stated Mrs Kristina.
Great offer
'Teachers are very happy to take part in various courses' - said Regina Markevič, manager of the Department of Education and Sport of the Šalčininkai District Municipality. She added that teachers of the district are usually invited to attend schooling by the Polish Educational Society. But also organizations, that cooperate with the Šalčininkai district municipality, offer wide range of various free courses. Branches of the Association 'Polish Community' in Łomża and Toruń, Association of Odra-Niemen in Wrocław, Resort of Teachers' Training in Ostróda - these are the organizations to be mentioned. Moreover, every educational institution in the district directly cooperates with schools in Poland and Polish Educational Society's partners invite pedagogues and management staff to attend various trainings.
'Training for teachers is necessary and very important. Teachers improve their language, raise their level of knowledge in the field of modern teaching and nurture their skills of using modern tools necessary for teaching,' said Regina Markevič. She added that the highest demand is for workshops focused on teaching with the use of interactive blackboard and modern multimedia techniques, work with special educational needs students, organising psychological-educational help in school and many more. Trainings, from which the teachers return with various teaching aids, are also extremely vvaluable.
'Such a training, covering the teaching program of the Polish language in 1-4 grades, took place in the town of Sulejówek. Participants of schooling came back to their schools with laptops and projectors. Pedagogues returned with a set of methodological support (which will for sure enrich their work) from the training for speech therapists organized by the Association of 'Polish Community' branch in Łomża,' said Markevič.
Great teachers never stop learning
Teachers from the Vilnius district also happily participate in additional trainings organized by the Polish Educational Society. 'Educators from the Vilnius district take part in training focused on management, perfecting various methods of teaching, using modern technologies during lessons and many more,' told Lilija Andruškievič, manager of the Department of Education of the Vilnius District Municipality. She stressed that these schoolings are very valuable because they are in native language. 'Teachers have the possibility to improve their native language, establish partnership with teachers and schools in Poland, widen their knowledge about the subject they are teaching and also about modern technologies,' explained Andruškievič.
Vice chairwoman of 'Macierz Szkolna' is sure that people who want to broaden their knowledge would for sure take advantage from rich offer of courses. She is also grateful for Polish institutions for inviting teachers to attend trainings. 'This practice should be continued. Despite the fact that there are many courses available online, nothing will truly replace direct contact with the lecturer,' said Dzeržinska.
'Great teachers never stop learning. And this is probably the most important thing for a teacher because if he stops learning, he will not be able to encourage a student to learn,' stated Dzeržinska.
Ivona Klimaševska
"This project is co-financed from the funds granted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland."
