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Polish "brainbox" comes back to Poland from the UK for a better education


Polanglik  11 | 303  
26 Oct 2007 /  #1
I read in the papers today that a 16yr old Polish boy, dubbed a genius by his teachers here in UK has returned to Poland to continue his studies because he feels the standard of education is worse here in UK than what he was getting in Poland. I believe he was going to a Roman Catholic state school in the North East of England.

Even with all the excellent conditions here in UK he said he'd get a better education back in Poland, so he has moved back to Lodz to live with his grandmother and continue his studies.

The boy, Aleksander Kucharski said that there was more motivation to learn and educate oneself back in Poland ! Most students were concerned with shopping and not getting a proper education.

Do people agree that education standards in UK have dropped, and getting a pass in an exam is easier than it was , say 20 years ago ? The Ofsted report for the boy's school state it is an excellent performing school.

“In Poland I only make average marks in maths. Here teachers says I am a genius. It shows a lot about England’s education system.”

anorak.co.uk/tabloids/177189.html
hello  22 | 891  
26 Oct 2007 /  #2
Polish education system is much stricter than the English one. Especially science subjects like math, physics, biology, or chemistry. But the level is still going down; it was even harder back 10-30 years ago.
plk123  8 | 4119  
26 Oct 2007 /  #3
it was even harder back 10-30 years ago.

seems to be a global thing.. dumb on down..
Grzegorz_  51 | 6138  
26 Oct 2007 /  #4
But 30 years ago anyone with matura was already quite well educated. Now It's rather "you're a fool If you don't have It", so It's simply not possible to keep very high standards If we want average kid to pass It.
z_darius  14 | 3960  
26 Oct 2007 /  #5
Did anybody see Idiocracy? A comedy about dumbing down.
Lukasz  49 | 1746  
27 Oct 2007 /  #6
Thread attached on merging:
Top of the class in England - but Polish boy goes home for better educati

Polak

:) it is good sign

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.

dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=489793&in_page_id=1770
Polson  5 | 1767  
27 Oct 2007 /  #7
I saw this article and i found it funny. This guy is better than everybody in his class even in English !!! In Poland, he was an average student, while in England his teachers say he's a genius ! We see the good English education system... ;) LoL
db1874  7 | 227  
28 Oct 2007 /  #8
maybe he's so far ahead because the british kids don't use 'cheat papers' in exams like happens in Poland ?
Wroclaw  44 | 5359  
28 Oct 2007 /  #9
It could be that his folks were sending him for extra, private tuition.
finT  12 | 167  
29 Oct 2007 /  #10
Super, it will be great to have someone intelligent back in the old country!

Before the handfull of paranoids start posting....I"M ONLY KIDDING!!!!
Mufasa  19 | 357  
29 Oct 2007 /  #11
british kids don't use 'cheat papers' in exams like happens in Poland

Do you mean 'crip notes' - little notes that kids take into exam rooms with them if they hadn't studied properly?

If so, don't you think a come-down to the real world would be suitable here? 'Crip notes' have forever and shall forever be used the world over, wherever exams are written. Anybody else for comment?
Giles  
29 Oct 2007 /  #12
er... I had no "crip" notes for any of my gcse's and or a-levels. I failed them all on my own merit.
Mufasa  19 | 357  
29 Oct 2007 /  #13
:)

Talking about some kids - not all.
jareck8  
29 Oct 2007 /  #14
read in the papers today that a 16yr old Polish boy, dubbed a genius by his teachers here in UK has returned to Poland to continue his studies because he feels the standard of education is worse here in UK than what he was getting in Poland. I believe he was going to a Roman Catholic state school in the North East of England.

finally someone realised
BubbaWoo  33 | 3502  
29 Oct 2007 /  #15
are uk employers starting to give more credence to polish qualifications...?
jareck8  
29 Oct 2007 /  #16
yes, sure the matura is equivlent to inbetween gcse and alevel, more and more universities are accepting qualifications and this will eb rolled out nationally within time..
Magdalena  3 | 1827  
3 Nov 2007 /  #17
the matura is equivlent to inbetween gcse and alevel,

Why should it be seen as "in between"? Polish kids pass a set of pretty difficult exams at leaving gimnazjum (lower secondary school), so that would be the GCSE equivalent. Right?

And then, at 19, they pass the matura, which entitles them to apply for University places. So that would be the A-levels equivalent. Or am I mistaken?

If I'm wrong, what other exam(s) should Polish students pass to reach the A-levels level then?
UKGUY  3 | 87  
4 Nov 2007 /  #18
The main message, that the Dailymail is trying to portray is that POlish people should return to Poland. If standards are higher, don't bring your children to England - stay in POLAND. So if you move here you can't compain about being in a worse country than yours expecially when Polish people seem to want to leave Poland so badly and not return back again.
telefonitika  
4 Nov 2007 /  #19
Magdalena

You are correct

GCSEs taken age 15/16 when leaving schools
A-Levels taken over 2 years(16-18 years old) so when leave school (6th form) or college dependant on where taken they can apply to go to university

No other exams are between GCSEs or A-Levels

:)
dasla  - | 52  
4 Nov 2007 /  #20
well i think it's a matter of the edjucation system in the uk is absolutly awfull, it does not push children to strive for a better education, i was a very bright child and ahead of my class but because i excelled at sport i was pushed towards that and it did not matter to my teachers whether i was working to my potential but as long as i did some work and the level of this work was not really important to them.

so the message is clear for the polish in the uk check out the schools first before sending your child their. and i have been told by my polish friends that it is a better education system in poland.
Liza  3 | 111  
4 Nov 2007 /  #21
The main message, that the Dailymail is trying to portray is that POlish people should return to Poland.

That depends on your interpretation... the way it came across to me is that British education system is completely dire, and that the mediocre are passing with flying colours when in the other countries they would be failed and held back a year (or three).

As an immigrant, I do find the knowledge and abilities of my British colleagues a little lacking at times.

PS Update on Aleksander Kucharski in yesterday's Daily Mail

dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=489793&in_page_id=1770#StartComments
UKGUY  3 | 87  
4 Nov 2007 /  #22
As an immigrant, I do find the knowledge and abilities of my British colleagues a little lacking at times.

So can I ask why you came to Britain if your skills and abilities are so much better in your own country. Is it becuase you like the country but not the people? Is it because your own country has a peasant economy? Why are all these superior people degrading themselves with the filfth of the British underclass? Mabey you ought to reflect on the genous from British genius Alan Turing, he proved far more able than the Polish scientist of that time. He even invented the first real computer systems.
OP Polanglik  11 | 303  
4 Nov 2007 /  #23
The main message, that the Dailymail is trying to portray is

a)

POlish people should return to Poland

b)

British education system is completely dire, and that the mediocre are passing with flying colours when in the other countries they would be failed and held back a year (or three).

c)

edjucation system in the uk is absolutly awfull, it does not push children to strive for a better education

The correct answer ......

either b or c is acceptable , Liza and Dasla get a Gold Star and go to the top of the class, whereas UKGUY must stay after class and write 100 times Polish education system is better than English system !
Liza  3 | 111  
4 Nov 2007 /  #24
So can I ask why you came to Britain if your skills and abilities are so much better in your own country. Is it becuase you like the country but not the people? Is it because your own country has a peasant economy? Why are all these superior people degrading themselves with the filfth of the British underclass? Mabey you ought to reflect on the genous from British genius Alan Turing, he proved far more able than the Polish scientist of that time. He even invented the first real computer systems.

Sorry to disappoint you UKGuy, but I don't come from a 'peasant economy'. I am a New Zealander, and there is definitely nothing peasant like about New Zealand. The Poles don't come from a peasant economy either.

There are plenty of intelligent hard working British people; unfortunately their brillance or even just honest hard work is being clouded by the dross of the lazy and the ignorant. Its a shame that there are so many British dross, as they give the rest of Britain a bad name. I sincerely think that Britain and Poland have a lot to give each other, and if they can co-operate, then it will be mutually beneficial to each other's economies.

I actually like Britain and (the majority) of its people... the lazy, ignorant xenophobics that surprise and disappoint me.
db1874  7 | 227  
4 Nov 2007 /  #25
are uk employers starting to give more credence to polish qualifications...?

How can any credence be given to Polish qualifications when cheating in exams is the norm in Poland ? The invigilators even turn a blind eye to it all.
UKGUY  3 | 87  
4 Nov 2007 /  #26
It is true that the Poles and other eastern europeans are better educated, becuase me friend is a leturer of mathematics in London. They originate from Romania and say that they were doing degree level work of English people at English universities whilst at high school!!!!
ShelleyS  14 | 2883  
9 Nov 2007 /  #27
well i think it's a matter of the edjucation system in the uk is absolutly awfull, it does not push children to strive for a better education, i was a very bright child and ahead of my class but because i excelled at sport i was pushed towards that and it did not matter to my teachers whether i was working to my potential but as long as i did some work and the level of this work was not really important to them.

Sorry buddy, but you obviously didnt push yourself, dont blame your shortcomings on other people.

I have several friends who are teachers and the problem in a lot of schools these days (im gonna get jumped on for this) is the fact the (in some cases) over half of the pupils in the class dont speak English - hmmmm dont take an expert to work out that its going to affect the other half of the class if they're not getting the time that they should be given by the teacher - and then there's the money aspect - classes are over crowded because we dont have the infrastructure in place in this country to cope with the influx of (not only Polish) immigrants....so you see as a result our education system is failing, I personally dont give a flying monkey about the foreign kids, I care about my nephews and nieces who are being affected by this.
UKGUY  3 | 87  
10 Nov 2007 /  #28
Its hypocritical of the Polish to condemn the British education system, whilst at the same time bringing in loads of children to the UK. I said before the Daily mail is trying to deter migrants from bringing in children from Poland, becuase it is anti-immigration.
Wroclaw  44 | 5359  
10 Nov 2007 /  #29
How can any credence be given to Polish qualifications when cheating in exams is the norm in Poland ? The invigilators even turn a blind eye to it all.

This was true [of the Matura] up until a couple of years ago. Now it's more difficult to cheat. But still, cheating still goes on.
OP Polanglik  11 | 303  
10 Nov 2007 /  #30
Its hypocritical of the Polish to condemn the British education system

The Polish kid was just stating how poor his education was here in UK compared with his education in Poland ...... which is why he chose to return to finish his studies in Lodz.

The follow-up article in the paper highlighted how the education system in Poland is how it used to be in UK during the fifties ........more respect for teachers, more discipline.

There seems to be a fear of 'failing' children if they are not up to scratch as this may affect their self esteem .... there is little point in surrounding kids in a 'cotton wool' environment as they will be taught the harsh reality of being 'not up to the job' when they get sacked or cannot find a job !

I have lived in England all my life, and have friends who are teachers at primary, secondary schools and also lecturers aT Universities.
According to them, standards in education have definitely dropped in the last few decades.

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