Education and Poverty in Poland

Education and Poverty in Poland

I had success speaking with a parent in our Head Start Program.  Her name is Monika Kulwikowski.  She is a child care provider for children zero to three with a partnering agency.  Her mother-in-law is a director of a kindergarten in Poland.  I really enjoyed speaking with her.  She has been very open about life in Poland. 

Poland has a social system.  Mothers generally stay at home until the children are at least six months old.  If they are fortunate enough to have a job, they go to work for 18 hours a day.  The grandparents are responsible for raising the child until it is time to go to school.  If they do not have family living near them, parents can send their children to “kindergarten” at age 2 or 3 if they have the income to do so.  The care in these centers is not like it is in America.  “There is one teacher and 20 children.  If the children cry, the workers do not try to work with the child.  They just ignore them.  There is no respect for the child and their feelings” (Monika Kulwikowski, personal communication, May 16, 2012).  Monika’s mother-in-law is the director of a “kindergarten”.  Because her center is well-run, the student teacher ratio is 15 to one.  Most child care providers in Poland are more like drill sergeants shouting out directions.

The job market is very competitive to people try to get as much education as they can in order to compete.

There are fewer children now in Poland than there used to be.  Adults cannot afford to have the children.  If families need help, they must rely on the good will of people they meet or go to the Catholic Church to get help.  If you don’t have a husband or family around, you will most certainly live in poverty.  Many times families have to live together just to make ends meet.  Because the Catholic faith is such an integral part of society in general, if you are a woman, you are expected to have a husband.  “If you do not have a husband, it is as though you do not exist at all.  If you try to leave your husband, the government will take your child from you.  You should not have a child if you cannot keep your husband (Monika Kulwikowski, personal communication, May 16, 2012).

Poverty is different in different parts of the world.  The basic issues of poverty in the United States are also found in Williamsburg, Virginia.  In the United States there are pockets of extreme poverty.  In other areas of the world, extreme poverty can represent the majority of the population.  Regardless of where we live and/or work, poverty is something we should work together to eradicate.  There are agencies worldwide that work to that end.  It will take those with more to help those with less.  We can all do something.  Our church has two Stop Hunger Now campaigns each year.  The United Methodist Church has gleaning events around the country throughout the year.  Of course, there are Food Banks in most, if not all, major cities.  Meals on Wheels and transportation services in cities help the elderly.  In the United States the top one percent of the wealthy have seen a growth of 256% while the middle class has only seen a growth of 21% and the poor 11% (Cauthen & Fass, 2009).  Something needs to change.  In my mind, we need to empower the families so that they have the resources to help themselves.  Each of us needs to do our part to advocate for the children and their families.

References

Cauthen N. K., & Fass, S. (2009). 10 important questions about child poverty and family

            economic hardship. Retrieved from National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP)

            website:http://www.nccp.org/pages/pdf/page_131.pdf