Poland

Technikum Nr 3 w Zespole Szkół Nr 3

Zabrze, Poland         website

Zespol Szkol Nr 3 is situated in the Silesian Highlands. The students are 13-20-year-old. Those attending the school live in the neighbourhood but also commute from the outskirts of the city and the surrounding villages thanks to the attractive profile of the school and its good opinion among the local community. The school teaches future coalmining technicians, electricians, computer programmers and telecommunication technicians but also runs comprehensive classes of a journalistic and aero-sport profile. There are numerous interest circles (science, computer, sports,) and students’ clubs (Film Club, European Club) which develop the students’ abilities and fill their free time. Moreover, the school offers the opportunity to take part in classes for poor students or capable ones, especially those preparing for all kinds of competitions and exams.
The families living in the school’s area are mostly connected with coalmining. However, due to the fall of this branch of industry the unemployment has risen dramatically and the conditions of living have deteriorated. Some students co homes where only one parent is employed, frequently both are unemployed. In the recent years we have observed the increase of the immigration labour. Children are neglected and do not observe proper standarheir parents.
The school also admits children from the families who benefit from the social housing programme. These children face alcoholism, violence and aggression and are under the constant care of the school’s psychologist.
The school’s role in the Project is cooperating, with the emphasis put on involving the students and the local community, establishing cooperation with institutions, the development of the key competof the students and the improvement of the work standards of the teachers.
For Poland taking part in project means enriching the school’s offer and motivating students to learn. Poland is undergoing an educational reform which limits drastically the teaching of physics and history after the first year. This project will help Polish students stay in touch with those subjects. Moreover, the experimental methods used in the project will encourage students to go beyond the classroom, see their learning process from a different perspective.