Censorship in Polish school programs

nyka 3 | 15

17 Jun 2007 / #1

Hi,
do you heard about forbidden authors in polish school programms? What you think about that?

Last week Roman Giertych, the Education Minister, announced that numerous classics of world literature (yes, m'lud, they are studied in schools in various countries) would be dumped in favour of well-approved, morally sound and, above all, Catholic writers.

Thus "the works of Goethe, Dostoyevsky, Kafka and the Polish-born Josef Conrad were to be dumped in favor of nationalist or Catholic authors like Henryk Sienkiewicz and the late Pope John Paul II. The aim was to instill patriotism in Polish youngsters."

cracow-life/news/news/1307-This_Just_In:_Books_Dangerous
anorak.co.uk/twitterings/174036.html
beatroot.blogspot.com/2007/06/education-minister-giertychs-new-school.html

BubbaWoo 33 | 3,506

17 Jun 2007 / #2

it comes as no suprise

shopgirl 6 | 928

17 Jun 2007 / #3

We've had the same thing in the US, especially in the Bible belt states....mass book burnings and record burnings. People actually purchased CDs so they could have something to throw on the bon fires. :?

Grzegorz_ 51 | 6,149

17 Jun 2007 / #4

do you heard about forbidden authors in polish school programms?

They aren't fobidden. It's lefty propaganda. Some were only removed from the list of those, which must be read.

Ranj 21 | 947

17 Jun 2007 / #5

Unfortunately, there are some in the US who would censor....so much for freedom of speech....fortunately, they can't get away with it (legally).

OP nyka 3 | 15

17 Jun 2007 / #6

Grzegorz, I have written - in school programms. Of course, who can forbid me to read Kafka or Gombrowicz...

Meg 1 | 38

17 Jun 2007 / #7

At any rate, this was something that J Kaczynski wasn't willing to put up with:
spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,487037,00.html - KACZYNSKI OVERRULES MINISTER IN SYLLABUS ROW - Goethe and Dostoyevsky Escape Poland's Literary Cull

So that's the end of that.
I suppose Giertych does these things to keep his peeps happy, and then Kaczynski plays Punch to his Judy, like back in March when they had their little tiff?

Unfortunately, there are some in the US who would censor....so much for freedom of speech....fortunately, they can't get away with it (legally).

I know . . . you should hear the lefties I know go on about how Fox News needs to be shut down! ;^)

OP nyka 3 | 15

17 Jun 2007 / #8

And what about Kafka and Gombrowicz? They stay out of shools programme.

Meg 1 | 38

17 Jun 2007 / #9

Interesting poll result, don't know the quality of the poll (always a problem). Of course, the reaction to the interview is just plain stupid, though perhaps wholly expected. LPR really needs to chill a little, but I guess that's not in their brief.

Polish press review - Government & Economy

EDUCATION: Education Ministry's Policies Widely Criticized by Public Opinion - Far right politician Roman Giertych's politics disqualify him as education minister, 61% of respondents in a poll by GfK Polonia said.

Giertych was also insulted by radio journalist soon after completing an interview at Radio Zet, which prompted his far-right League of Polish Families (LPR) party members to call for sanctions against the station. [Rzeczpospolita][Dziennik]

Grzegorz_ 51 | 6,149

17 Jun 2007 / #10

Grzegorz, I have written - in school programms. Of course, who can forbid me to read Kafka or Gombrowicz...

But still they can be at school If a teacher decide that way. It's only that they (maybe) won't be on "must read" list.

Meg 1 | 38

17 Jun 2007 / #11

According to [anorak/twitterings/174036.html] this source (please click, then scroll down to the bottom of the article):

"There was an immediate outcry in Poland and Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski in a rare attack of sanity, went on radio to announce that this may have been a joke but was in very poor taste. The classics, he insisted, will stay on the Polish school syllabus. Children will go on reading Goethe, Dostoyevsky, Kafka and Josef Conrad."

So it seems that Goethe, Dostoyevsky, Kafka, Conrad, and Gombrowicz aren't going off the syllabus. Status quo ante.

BubbaWoo 33 | 3,506

17 Jun 2007 / #12

hahahaha... the man's obviously a fool...!!!