Education questions:

1. Do you like going to school? [provide reasons for your answers]

2. Describe what’s the best thing about your school

3. Describe what’s the worst thing about your school

4. If you could change one thing about your school, what would it be?

5. If you could change one thing about the system of education in your country, what would it be?

Radek, 16, a secondary school student

1. I like going to school because I can meet my friends there. Also I learn some new things which are sometimes interesting.

2. The best thing about my school is an opportunity to work in a school radio station. You can play your favourite music to the whole school and you can also express your opinion on the air.

3. The worst thing about my school is that we have a lot of homework to do and so we don’t have time for our private life. We have to do homework instead of playing basketball or meeting friends.

4. I would reduce the number of hours we spend at school to a maximum 5 hours a day. Then we could have much more time for ourselves.

5. I would change the system of teaching. Kids should learn things that will prepare them for the adult world. Also they should be able to choose the way they want to learn.

Marita, 18, a secondary school student

1. I generally like going to school because I’ve got many friends there and I can learn interesting facts. I really can’t imagine what would happen if there were no schools. But I have to admit that I’m. bored with many subjects, not because I’m big-headed and I think I know everything, but because of the lessons which aren’t interesting. I really try to find pleasure in sitting in the classroom and listening to lectures but I can’t. Teachers don’t try to make their lessons original or interesting; they just do what they have to do and go home. In history, which could be a great subject, I’m so bored that I could sleep and in Polish we are given the same worn-out topics for essays that were assigned in previous years. We don’t use our imagination but just learn by heart.

2. In my opinion the best thing about my school is its atmosphere, and that’s the main reason I’ve chosen it. But it doesn’t mean that I go there for fun. We have to study a lot, but we aren’t stressed and with many teachers, especially young ones, we have friendly relationships. We can also wear what we want and it isn’t said, for example, that girls can’t wear jewellery or colourful clothes. I think that it shows how to be tolerant and that it’s not appearance which is important but your knowledge and behaviour.

3. It’s hard to say because I generally like my school, but I think that boring lessons are the worst thing. I usually listen to things that are interesting and stimulate my mind. But when I have to listen to a boring lecture, I think about something else and that’s why I learn nothing. Many people in my class behave in the same way, not because we think we’re more intelligent than the teacher but because of the monotony. Some lessons seem to last so long that when I finish my school day I’m as tired as after writing an exam.

4. The simplest answer is changing some teachers, but it’s not the point. I think I’d try to encourage them to make more interesting lessons. Then going to school would be a pleasure not an obligation.

5. I think that the worst thing about the system of education is that we have to learn everything by heart and we don’t know how to use the information, because the teachers think it’s not important. It also kills creativity and student imagination. The reform of education did a lot in this respect, but not enough. I’ve noticed that many students just can’t think logically. In my school, if you wanted to do a test in biology, you had to study things from the textbook and this was easy. But in one test we had to use this information to explain and describe an experiment and nobody was able to do it. If it were possible I’d organise some special training for teachers to teach them how to do their job in a different way and how to make lessons interesting, and also how to teach logical thinking and the use of information.

Julia, 17, a secondary school student

1. I really like going to school. It’s been my obligation to attend it nearly every day for thirteen years. I’ve decided to try to enjoy it (although it’s not always possible) because I wouldn’t like to have spent these 13 years being miserable. So if I have to go there, I will, not forgetting to keep a smile on my face! Another reason is that, after all, school teaches some skills (so time spent there is not really a waste of time). It somehow widens my horizons. It doesn’t always tell me exactly the things I’m interested in, but I think that one can find something to devote oneself to. And the main reason for my positive attitude to the institution of school is that I can meet all sorts of people there. It’s a place where many kinds of relationships can start.

2. The best thing about my school is the people, meaning the students. And breaks of course, because it’s the time when we can chat, relax and just be together. There’s also this great new gym. It’s huge and the most modern one in the city. Although I’m not much into sports I enjoy having my PE lessons there in this new and spacious place. The notice board is nice as well. It’s near the school entrance. You can always get to know which teacher is absent and how many lessons will be free. I also like the atmosphere in our school. It somehow makes it special.

3. The worst thing about my school is the teachers who are not ‘perfectly normal’, who love stressful interrogations in front of the whole class. Well, if they prepare us for it, it’s bearable, but if the teacher just sits at his or her desk and dictates a text for the whole 45 minutes it’s not fair! I also don’t like competitiveness, I mean, if someone takes school too seriously and wants to be a ‘champion’ in everything (which isn’t actually possible unless you are a genius, which doesn’t happen too often...)

4. If I could change one thing about my school, I’d send all the teachers on a ‘how to be a great teacher’ course. Perhaps then their lessons would become more interesting, varied and challenging for the learners. I think they should get more money for equipment (like computers, OHPs, videos).

5. I think that a good idea would be an opportunity for the students to select the subjects. Then you could like studying more and enjoy learning the things you want to learn because you’d be interested in them and they’d be really needed in your future career as a university student. It would also teach the pupils how to make decisions concerning their future in their early life.

Lena, 18, a secondary school student

1. I really like going to school because when I’m there I meet my friends and can speak to them. I don’t like school itself because of many teachers and subjects which are not connected with what I’m interested in. I also like school at weekends (most I think) - it’s empty!…there aren’t any lessons and so on. The main reason why I prefer going to school to staying at home is that I can spend my time there enjoying the atmosphere of that place, speaking to my friends and not being bored.
2. In my opinion the best thing about my school is a very high level of education, interesting syllabus, good teachers and friendly people. The atmosphere is the most important thing….the students know each other well. We have a school shop where we meet. There is also a common room where we can spend our free hours between some lessons….we can play music there, organize shows, poetry evenings and so on.

3. It’s difficult.…but I think that sometimes we learn things and collect information that is useless. On some days I have to sit at my desk doing my homework till late at night. There are so many subjects we have to study and then take difficult and long tests. This is hard.

4. If I could change one thing about my school…. I really don’t know. Perhaps it’s because I do like this place - maybe not tests or marks but….

5. I would make holidays and weekends longer but lessons shorter.

Magda, 18, a secondary school student

1. Well, it depends. I like being at school because I can meet my friends there and have a good time.…it is a place where you can be with your closest friends. I also like going to school because lessons are quite interesting and sometimes funny. However, there is one thing I do not like - tests. There are too many of them and we have to learn a lot all the time.

2. Generally, there are some great people there including some teachers. The atmosphere at school is really great - music, conversations and having fun. I love it! I also like the events that are organized by the students, e.g. ‘cleaning of the world’ event, exchanges with students from foreign countries, festivals and competitions. These events are fantastic and we can learn a lot of different things.

3. As I said before – tests. But a really bad thing is discrimination among students. There are well-off students and poorly-off in my school. The differences between them are very big. Those who are well-off don’t treat the others well. It isn’t fair.

4. I have no idea. I would probably introduce some new subjects to the school curriculum including some foreign languages. It would be great to be able to study film, music or generally culture. Maybe we could have some interest groups?

5. I think I would change the way we learn. There should be more classes where you could learn things you want to learn because you are interested in them. Giving students more freedom of choice would solve many problems.

Marta, 17, a secondary school student

1. I like going to school because this is one of the opportunities to meet my friends. On the other hand, I hate it! ‘What is the reason?’, you may ask. Teachers are generally unfriendly though quite tolerant….yet, it’s the same in other schools. On the other hand, I like my school because we have many interest groups to choose from. We can use the internet if we want to. The problem is that we don’t have enough time for that.

2. My school is very safe - it’s closed to people from outside. The students are very tolerant so your appearance is not important at all. Everybody knows each other and the atmosphere is rather friendly.

3. Every teacher thinks that his/her subject is the most important one so we have to learn a lot. On average we spend about 9 hours at school every day and we have a lot of work at home as well.

4. In my school there are also students who attend gimnazjum. I think it is not a very good idea to mix younger students with those who are over 18.

5. I think students should learn some practical skills. At present we are learning what teachers want us to. I would like to learn what I think is useful.

Agata, 18, a secondary school student

1. I quite like going to school because I can meet my friends there, chat a little and learn some new things. I also have a place where I can spend my time though not always in a very pleasant way. Generally speaking, I can’t say I don’t experience moments when I want to forget that the school exists at all. I think this is mostly because of the teachers - they want us to learn all the time, they stress us with their class tests which, in my opinion, are quite unnecessary.

2. The best thing about my school is that I feel safe inside there. I’m not afraid of some madmen running around with machine-guns and similar stuff. Drug dealers aren’t that visible and the students have some freedom even though they are dependent on their teachers in class.

3. My school hasn’t got enough money to provide all the equipment that we need to learn, so called ‘educational aids’ such as computers, the internet, books written in foreign languages and so on. I also think there should be more interest groups not necessarily connected with the school subjects.

4. I would change the methods of teaching a bit. I think that students’ learning shouldn’t be focused on gathering large amounts of information that might be useless in future. Maybe there should be more interaction between students and teachers….also outside classes. We should be able to choose subjects we would like to study.

5. I would like the Minister of Education to return to the idea of an 8-year primary school and a 4-year ‘liceum’.Besides, it would be a good to include some practical skills in the school syllabus that students could not only ‘learn by heart’.