Top of the class in England - but Polish boy goes home for better education

[Shakaras]

When Aleksander Kucharski arrived in Britain from Poland, he expected he would get a first-class education.


He was accepted at a Roman Catholic state school which boasts one of the best academic records in the country and is recognised by Ofsted as outstanding.


But after two years he is so disillusioned that he has gone home to his old school, saying his British classmates were interested only in shopping and partying.

neighbour who was out campaigning.


"But in Newcastle no one cared about globalisation, the greenhouse effect, the EU, war or politics.


"Maybe it's because they get everything on a plate, because there was no communism there and there's no real poverty, they don't need to worry about their future.


"In Poland parents tell their children about financial problems. But in Britain I think they don't have them or they tried to hide them, to buy their children everything."

Aleksander said that before he left Poland he was an average student.


"In Poland, I only ever got average marks in maths, yet in the UK teachers said I was a genius," he claimed yesterday. "After a year I was top of the class in everything, and that includes English."


The excellent facilities at St Thomas More failed to improve educational standards there, he said.


"They would give me a list of terms and definitions. The teacher told us to put them into pairs and colour them the right colour - like at primary school."


Last night, the deputy head of his school in Lodz, Agata Jagielska, said: "We know that Polish pupils are better at acquiring facts and knowledge.


"Perhaps because we are poorer and we don't have such great facilities in Poland, pupils are more motivated to seek out possibilities for themselves."


St Thomas More is one of the best performing schools in the country. A total of 1,700 students aged between 11 and 18 attend the school which was established in 1988 following amalgamation and has won several national awards for excellence.


A spokesman for North Tyneside Council said: "Every child and parent has the right to choose the education they wish.


"We are disappointed that this pupil has decided to move away.


"Only weeks ago St Thomas More was recognised by Ofsted as being an outstanding school with 82 per cent of students achieving five or more A*-C grades. Among those, 16 came out with nine or more A*-A grades."

Top of the class in England - but Polish boy goes home for better education | the Daily Mail

[Heretik]

Well, the english kids...

[Agrippa]

"Maybe it's because they get everything on a plate, because there was no communism there and there's no real poverty, they don't need to worry about their future.

I doubt that. Its more because of the general way of life and indoctrination that they care less and learn less too. Poverty is present there as well, but its a different way to cope with it, to accept a certain class difference and political injustice I guess.

But to add something of a personal note to the issue, in Polish schools, mathematic in particular seems to have a very high standard, higher than in most other countries probably from what came to know.

"In Poland, I only ever got average marks in maths, yet in the UK teachers said I was a genius," he claimed yesterday. "After a year I was top of the class in everything, and that includes English."

Otherwise I guess people in various Eastern countries, at least those which are not from the lowest social spectra, might generally still read more, use their fantasy and being more group oriented, less indoctrinated and "politically correct" etc., have less problems with foreigners which pull the whole average of many schools down to a much lower level, than the "pure" schools would have etc.

And of course, the investment in education and schools, similar social developmental potential, was much, much higher in the former Communist states and they partly still profit from it, have a higher level, at least on average, than most Western states. Thats at least true for the more effective states of that kind, Eastern Germany, Czechoslovakia and Poland in particular. In a way, in certain areas, the East was far ahead socially and less indoctrinated in a negative way politically than many Western states, what just shows were the Western countries were going since WW2 in comparison, since Marxism had its large defects we all know about too and thats for sure.

[Heretik]

Originally Posted by Agrippa

I doubt that. Its more because of the general way of life and indoctrination that they care less and learn less too. Poverty is present there as well, but its a different way to cope with it, to accept a certain class difference and political injustice I guess.

But not even close to the poverty of some social groups in the eastern countries. Poland is quite good nowadays but Russia and Ukraine for example have a lot of poor, but really poor people. Apart from that I completely agree with you. They simply care less for education and not just education.

Originally Posted by Agrippa

But to add something of a personal note to the issue, in Polish schools, mathematic in particular seems to have a very high standard, higher than in most other countries probably from what came to know.

That's the old communist school system. Similar thing still exist in Croatia but as time goes by our primary and secondary schools are begining to look alike those in the western countries. In some cases (some forms of education in practice) it's good but in some (quantum of hours for some subjects, the wideness of education) it's not that good.

[Strengthandhonour]

Interesting article.
I can personally relate since I lived in many places throughout my childhood and recieved my education in various countries and languages. When I moved to the US I went from being an average student to being one of the smartest students in school at the top of the class almost.
Funny how it works huh?

[Kernunnos]

Originally Posted by Heretik

Well, the english kids...

hm. I have firsthand evidence that our catholic schools are high level, but our public ones are on par with english schools.

Pupils care only for cellphones and top class dresses by famous firms.

Drugs are rampant and students are lazy, to tell just half the truth.

They too think anything is due.

Eastern european people I know are hardworking and disciplined, they who are here as young foreign workers sound like our generations now approaching retirement.

[Heretik]

Originally Posted by Kernunnos

hm. I have firsthand evidence that our catholic schools are high level, but our public ones are on par with english schools.

Pupils care only for cellphones and top class dresses by famous firms.

Drugs are rampant and students are lazy, to tell just half the truth.

They too think anything is due.

Eastern european people I know are hardworking and disciplined, they who are here as young foreign workers sound like our generations now approaching retirement.

Byproduct of communism. Nowadays, young people in eastern europe are not much different from those from the western countries. Well, I cannot talk about the true eastern europe (since I never was there nor do I know many people from those countries) but I can talk about local south-eastern people.
My parents are somewhat like those you wrote about but they are closer to retirement than to a begining of a "workers" life.

[Marcus Marulus]

The average Zeropean looks these days very alike, whether in the East or in the West.

[Heretik]

Well, the effects of globalisation I guess. Better said, the downsides of globalisation.

[Kernunnos]

Originally Posted by Heretik

Byproduct of communism. Nowadays, young people in eastern europe are not much different from those from the western countries. Well, I cannot talk about the true eastern europe (since I never was there nor do I know many people from those countries) but I can talk about local south-eastern people.
My parents are somewhat like those you wrote about but they are closer to retirement than to a begining of a "workers" life.

I have seen ukrainian people at work and I was impressed.

Very conservative values.

[orieleye]

Originally Posted by Kernunnos

I have seen ukrainian people at work and I was impressed.

Very conservative values.

By very conservative do you mean religious?

[Kernunnos]

Originally Posted by orieleye

By very conservative do you mean religious?

Conservative towards life values and religion too.

[M.R.]

Well this is common with immigrants from countries where the liberal ideas have not penetrated the society that much.