Life / British living in Poland - documentary [42]


What's interesting is who was doing the screwing at the time of the transformation. Certain holier-than-thou institutions did very well for themselves.

Life / British living in Poland - documentary [42]


I notice that many not-that-old (let's say - 70 or so) people want those times back because they actually had quite a lot subsidised. All the subsidised holidays, child care, etc - stuff they could never afford in a capitalist society as manual workers in factories and so on.

UK, Ireland / Do Polish Immigrants in Great Britain hate each other? [60]

"We", Patrick?

UK, Ireland / Do Polish Immigrants in Great Britain hate each other? [60]

It really isn't normal to be spending Friday nights online thinking about Polish people, Hudders.

Life / British living in Poland - documentary [42]


Indeed. Such was the cost of freedom.

(not to mention that many of them actually preferred the system where they were looked after from cradle to grave - they had no real interest in democracy)

Life / British living in Poland - documentary [42]


Bob did (Polonius), and I think "Varsovian" on these forums has been here on and off since before the end of Communism. There's also a few that have been here for donkeys years and can talk about the differences - like Harry.

History / Polish relation about Russians, Ukrainians? [281]

How many Ukrainians do you know personally? probably none.

UK, Ireland / What's the best Polish restaurant in London? [26]


Why? Nordic food is incredibly popular at the minute, so why can't Polish food be made to such standards?

Off-Topic / Are you living in Poland? [77]

I wonder how many posters on this forum have never even visited Poland?

Off-Topic / Are you living in Poland? [77]


Exactly, it's a pest. But then - maybe I'd get exempted from much of the PGCE and wouldn't have to do a probation year. We will see :)


From my point of view, QTS is desirable - being qualified in Poland is one thing, but an English qualification counts for far more in the world.

Off-Topic / Are you living in Poland? [77]


I've got the full teacher status here, so that's not a problem - but rather that in Poland, "elementary education" (what we know as primary education) only covers the first 3 years - they split into separate subjects after that. So it's pretty unlikely that they'll accept it as being good enough for KS2, unfortunately :(

Already got the science standard grade (as we call them in Scotland at the right level, so that's not a problem :)

Do you think there's really much demand for KS1 teachers who can't legally go further and who don't want to work in a nursery?


Could be the way - I really need to get QTS awarded first, then see what they recommend for getting the KS2 rights too.


Indeed, and it's pretty soul destroying. I don't mind doing it as a 'needs must', but the thought of doing it as a full time job fills me with horror. Even my job in Poland is merely teaching 'in' English, not teaching EAL as such.

Off-Topic / Are you living in Poland? [77]


That's what I'm going to apply for as soon as I can be bothered to do the documentation - it's automatically granted (according to what I was told a few months ago by the General Teaching Council before it was changed) to those who have 3 years experience + 'qualified' status in another EU country. The only issue is that I'm pretty certain they won't qualify me to go beyond Key Stage 1 when it comes to primary teaching - and there appears to be no easy way to upgrade it in Poland. From talking to them informally, it seems that I'll have the right to teach KS1 primary + EAL, KS2 EAL and KS3+4 EAL+English. Madness, but that's what it translates to in England.

Off-Topic / Are you living in Poland? [77]


It's strange, but I read a thing online a while ago about some guy in Geneva who was earning 850 Swiss Francs a day (or in real money - a shade over 200,000 pounds a year) in Geneva. He was complaining about being skint despite working in a very high pressure job - he had a house in the UK to pay for, private school for 3 kids and reasonable accomodation/transport in Geneva as well as flights to/from the UK every weekend. He was rich on paper - but not in reality.

Life / Address Help (Konin University in Poland) [5]


pwsz.konin.edu.pl/pl/310/322/accommodation
Here.

But you do realise that this isn't a university - it's a very bad private school which has the right to award degrees? I don't recommend it at all - it's in a small town, it isn't even one of the 'good' private schools.

Off-Topic / Are you living in Poland? [77]

I deleted it already - it was unwise, I know.

Life / Address Help (Konin University in Poland) [5]

Konin University?

There's no such thing - there are some branches of other universities, but there's no Konin University as such.

Off-Topic / Are you living in Poland? [77]


Yes. Along with the full rights to teach elementary education, including kindergarten. I'm only missing one piece of paper that's granted as a formality - but I don't need it as it's England-specific - I'll apply for it when I can be bothered.


edited - personal attack

Off-Topic / Are you living in Poland? [77]


Yes, you're totally correct. I think it's a terrible reason to go - it can only really end in tears.


I can only talk from my point of view - my salary is roughly half of what it would be in the UK, but I would be highly unlikely to have the same opportunity so quickly - and also unlikely to have such professional competence (for example - curriculum design - I have a significant amount of freedom, way more than the National Curriculum offers). So it's a no brainer at the moment, but I still intend next year to apply for QTS status in England as a useful backup. I actually think as well that I wouldn't cope too well with the UK way of doing things - it's too rigid and bureaucratic. So yes - you would be right that I probably wouldn't be very good there.

My dream is to work one day at Summerhill School - summerhillschool.co.uk - one day!


Funnily enough - for me, it's not even the people (though I have wonderful friends here) - but rather the way that there's just so much to do. I might be attending a second conference in Lviv soon, I'm going to Berlin for some professional training, and it's a fantastic base to explore history. I think - at least from where I stand - I found the UK suffocating in isolated it feels.


What interests me is guys in their 30's who do it - I can't imagine how they could walk away like that from decent money and decent living conditions.

I predict that we will see a spate of divorces in years to come here - and with it, many PF threads ;)

News / Poland's Ruch Narodowy - should it be banned? [62]


Signing up to kill Poles would seem to be obvious, no?

News / Palikot's "Modern Poland" and the Tea Party - how do they compare? Should be banned? [21]


If you consider that the purpose is to end war - it's actually quite a sensible proposal. Look at the last 1000 years - and imagine that war had never happened.


Which is why you want them banned, right? :)


Says goofy, who lives in the UK and who does nothing for Poland.

Off-Topic / Are you living in Poland? [77]

But... why would someone stay here if they hated it? I can understand staying in the United States if they hate it, because you can make so much money there - but Poland?

(for me, if I begin to hate Poland, I can jump in my car and move to another 30, soon to be 31 other countries)

News / Palikot's "Modern Poland" and the Tea Party - how do they compare? Should be banned? [21]

Shame you didn't quote the rest of it. But entirely unsurprising.

Perhaps you'd like to tell us why ending war for good in Europe would be a bad thing?

Off-Topic / Are you living in Poland? [77]


Exactly. It's very predictable - and amusing. They constantly tell us what's best for Poland, yet none of them actually live here or do anything for Poland. Some of them are so deluded that they think writing stuff online about Poland somehow helps Poland.

(honourable exception goes to a poster called WielkiPolak - our political views are different, but he's open about who he is and he doesn't pretend to be living in Poland)


They certainly have. Even the 2004 era Poles that went to the UK are starting to lose touch. It's normal and a natural consequence of emigration.


Why on earth would anyone live in Poland if they didn't have the country's best interests at heart? It's not exactly a place for the easy life.

Off-Topic / Are you living in Poland? [77]

There was no intent whatsoever :)

Very strange how most nationalist, right wing posters failed to say though.

News / Poland's Ruch Narodowy - should it be banned? [62]


Anyone who willingly signs up to bomb the **** out of Poland if required to do so by foreign paymasters is quite obviously a traitor.

News / Palikot's "Modern Poland" and the Tea Party - how do they compare? Should be banned? [21]


Could you perhaps show how they wish Poland to disappear?

Of course, the fact that you think about them so much means they've achieved their mission.

News / Hooligans in PRL times ... and Warsaw in 2012 [28]


And the second thing I notice is that they have total, unquestioning obedience to the leadership.

I may not agree with their politics, but if you watch a protest (that doesn't erupt into violence) by such groups - they are absolutely far more organised and cohesive than the extreme-left wing opposition.

News / Poland's Ruch Narodowy - should it be banned? [62]


Except these are peaceful times, and we have no need for trouble.

Nice to see that you are promoting a pro-destruction policy in Warsaw. Fits in nicely with your views on serving in enemy military forces, doesn't it?


Erm. Actually, this forum is about Poland, with no mention of nationalities.


Highly unlikely from the looks of things - I suspect that next year, it will be much much quieter. Can't imagine the organisers of most of these marches could afford the clean up bill....

News / Poland's Ruch Narodowy - should it be banned? [62]

Fortunately, as leader of the 3rd biggest party in the Sejm, the general public disagree with you.

Then again, you're not even in Poland anyway.

News / Poland's Ruch Narodowy - should it be banned? [62]

It is distinctly treasonous to talk about removing the legitimate, democratically constituted Republic of Poland.

Then again, they're on the margins of society and not worth losing sleep over.