Travel / Indian or Mexican food in Warsaw. [60]


I don't get it - why do so many restaurants (and pubs) in Poland seem to think that loud music is an essential? No-one seems to want it, yet they still do it...why?! It's a great mystery to me - as is the great way that you can offer to make a reservation for 20+ people on condition that they turn the music down to background level - and many of them say no!


I was there in the summer. It's an absolutely charming place, it's got some rather good pubs (including a place that could easily be any proper boozer in London) - but it definitely doesn't have anything in the way of Italian or Mexican restaurants.. unless you count kebab shops :/

UK, Ireland / Brits to protest against foreigners in the workforce, including Poles. [289]


Did it ever count? Most EU countries definitely didn't count studying as time spent in the country.


No it wasn't, because you said that there's more money involved, which just isn't true. It's the same amount to the university, except possibly slightly better for cashflow as the full fees have to be paid in September for non-EU students, as opposed to them being paid in December for EU students.


Not arguing there - the new rules should drastically discourage people, and I don't think that's a bad thing. It's nonsense that they only had to have x amount in their account at one point - it would've made far more sense to demand that for visa renewals, they had to clearly show the money being used - anyone showing an account with 10k in and then 10k out straight away is clearly working.

If you ask me, non-EU students should be prohibited from working in paid employment full stop. I'd even close the door further and deny families coming unless the student is of exceptional value to the UK and should be encouraged to stay.

UK, Ireland / Brits to protest against foreigners in the workforce, including Poles. [289]


Not quite - the fees paid are actually the same, because...I can't remeber the name of the quango in question that pays it, but EU students are subsidised by the difference between the EU fee and the non-EU fee - so it works out the same.

The difference is that the (in particular) Asian market is massive - unlike the UK student market which is saturated.

But from a wishy-washy liberal perspective, the huge problem with non-EU students is that Asian ones in particular tend to form ghetto communities within universities - they simply don't integrate.

Work / Working on Spouse Visa/Residency Permit from home for Non polish company [3]


In a nutshell - yes, you can do this in any Schengen country. There may be an issue with Germany and Austria (the last two countries to uphold restrictions against Poles) - but no-one is really going to care less if you're turning up, giving a training session and leaving again. These issues are also null and void as of 1st May 2011, when all restrictions against Polish workers will end in Europe.

Just make sure that you declare the income to the Polish authorities :) You could be surprised at the powers that the Polish tax authorities have... You may also have to formally register as a business - depends how the Americans pay you.

But be warned - you need to make sure that you have the residence card in hand before travelling. The visa won't be enough, unless you're entitled to the 90 day Schengen tourist stamp.

Work / What are my chances in finding work at a callan school in Wroclaw? [22]


This is the most important thing by far - you won't need a work permit, or indeed any hassle.

Be warned that you're obliged to obtain a PESEL and a Polish ID card as soon as you land in Poland. This should be your first move - I can almost guarantee that you'll confuse school directors if you don't actually have the ID card.

Not all Callan schools are that bad - if you find a school that uses Callan as a base for learning, but allows teachers to add additional material, it can be quite good fun. I'd advise you to steer well clear of any school that teaches by the book and nothing but the book - it's a good sign that the school in general is awful.


I've got this image now of you saying "Is this a book? IS THIS A ******* BOOK, YOU MORON?!" and proceeding to launch the idiot in question through a window :D

UK, Ireland / Brits to protest against foreigners in the workforce, including Poles. [289]


Not a chance, I wouldn't buy anything in the current climate! There are some very interesting houses for sale 40-50km from Poznan, but nothing that screams "buy me now".


737 flights to Tenerife must really be pushing it then - never, ever understood how the runway at Aberdeen was long enough to accomodate them.

Incidentally, do you know if Ryanair refuels after each sector?

A reminder that you are going off-topic

Work / Is it normal for companies/schools in Poland to be rude? [116]


I wouldn't say it's limited to poorer towns and villages - even in Poznan, some of the stories I've heard about State teachers are incredible. I was teaching a class of teenagers for a while, and they would constantly tell me about how awful their teacher was - they used to ask me for the 'right' answer to things because they were certain that she was getting it wrong. And this is in Poznan!

I'd say it's only going to get worse as hardly any talented Polish English students are going to go anywhere near teaching in a State school - I know quite a few, and none of them have even considered teaching in a public school.


Yep - this is the one bribe in their direction, combined with the fact that it's nearly impossible to sack someone who has got to the point where they're not allowed to be dismissed for performance reasons. There's an excellent case in my local school where a friend teaches - they've got some woman, completely and utterly hopeless, teaching teenagers. From what I've seen, they completely crucify her - she can't control them, they know she can't do anything about it and thus the kids are being indirectly punished. Yet she's got a permanent contract and can't be sacked easily - which is utter nonsense, as these kids are clearly not getting anything resembling an education.

One thing Poland could do that would make a hell of a lot of sense would be to allow directors to hire language teachers on the basis of ability rather than papers.

UK, Ireland / Brits to protest against foreigners in the workforce, including Poles. [289]


Hmm...essential State service jobs are rock solid - teaching, Fire, Police, Armed Forces. Apart from that though, it's a good question - depends a lot on the location really.


Not arguing there - I've seen quite a few comments online from people who have been relocated and have had no choice but to simply rent a cheap room somewhere during the week.


This, unfortunately, is our useless council's fault, combined with the whining moaners in Northfield. Ryanair publicly stated a while ago that they wouldn't consider Aberdeen for any more flights as long as the runway isn't extended - without being horribly technical, the longer the runway, the more they can carry into the sky - Aberdeen's just isn't long enough. Good enough to fly to places like Stornoway though... :/

Mind you, look at how rubbish Dundee Airport is!

Law / Help collecting Karta Pobytu in Warsaw [49]


Technically, they can be - you only have 3 months right to be in the country. But the clock resets as soon as you cross the border, and with no way of knowing who's crossing....well, it's a legal fiction really :)

Work / Is it normal for companies/schools in Poland to be rude? [116]


The ones who have reached the top of the tree aren't doing so badly - and let's not forget that private tuition can often be just as expensive as English teaching - I know a biology teacher who is charging 50zl an hour for private classes and getting it without trouble. They also have a far better deal in Poland than in the UK - because they don't have to be in the school full time, unlike British schools.

I suspect that salaries might rise quite a bit for teachers now that early retirement has been abolished.

But certainly for new teachers, it is an awful deal - and the reason why there's such a lack of talent when it comes to English teaching in schools.

Work / Is it normal for companies/schools in Poland to be rude? [116]


Exactly the same thing. The ones that complain because the NHS won't give them an instant referral to a specialist are the ones that particularly irritate me. I've heard of cases where Poles have been complaining bitterly because the NHS won't give them an instant referral to a gynaecologist as soon as they get pregnant - yet they can't seem to grasp that if everyone did that, the NHS would be bankrupt within weeks.

I'm not sure if it's just the old Polish obsession with qualifications, or simple ignorance of how good midwivery education is in the UK.


That's what I've heard as well, but thank you :)

(not a big fan at all of these integrated teaching Masters)

UK, Ireland / Brits to protest against foreigners in the workforce, including Poles. [289]


From what I'm seeing - he's been in agency work for 15 years. That's not stable employment at all - anyone with an ounce of common sense knows fine well that agency work is anything but stable and reliable, as you're prone to being replaced at any time.

And exactly - children aren't like toys, so you shouldn't be having more than you can be reasonably able to provide for. It seems lunacy to have 5 children if you don't know if you'll have a job tomorrow!


Sure, isn't that difficult to do. Plenty of people have to do it if they're relocated.


Before 2004, the fish industry (to name one) was one which had masses of vacancies as simply no-one wanted to do the horrible work that is fish processing.

Work / Is it normal for companies/schools in Poland to be rude? [116]


Trevek, do you know anything about what qualifications you need to teach in a state school in Poland? I've always been told a Masters is a minimum requirement with a teaching qualification, but do you know any better?

UK, Ireland / Brits to protest against foreigners in the workforce, including Poles. [289]


"below average education" = simple.


Well, you have to question the wisdom of having so many children - and virtually assuring that they would need some degree of benefits in order to survive. I think it's irresponsible as hell for someone to have so many children if they aren't in stable employment.

Also, you have to move to where the employment is, it's that simple.


Well - Labour were the ones who decided not to impose many restrictions upon A8 nationals. The UK could legally impose work permits upon them until the 1st May 2011 - and the fact they didn't was a clear cut sign that Labour wanted immigration and plenty of it.

Incidentally, in Scotland, we welcomed immigrants with open arms. The English didn't - and this is yet another reason why the countries should be seperate. Scotland needs new workers - England doesn't.

Work / Is it normal for companies/schools in Poland to be rude? [116]


Yep, ultimately, the game is about keeping people happy - because otherwise they won't pay.

I've always thought that if a language school opened up, in which they demanded nothing but 100% excellence from staff and students - they would make a killing if they could see three years of losses. Imagine how wildly popular a school would be if they actively removed bad students?

Study / Language Schools In Wroclaw. [6]


CELTA or the Trinity TESOL is the usual expectation - or of course, any proper teaching qualification like a PGCE.

It's not the be all and end all, there are plenty of schools that will hire someone reliable and professional with previous teaching experience - of course, the best jobs won't be open to you, but that's not necessarily a bad thing for a newbie in Poland.

You should also be warned - February is about as late as most schools will actually hire people, as the teaching 'season' runs roughly until June - after this, you can expect most schools to not bother recruiting anyone until August or early September. It does depend, but generally speaking, most schools are most interested in people who are "here, now" and can work starting tomorrow.

Nothing is certain of course, but to maximise your chances, I would recommend being in Wroclaw in the 3rd week of August or so. Forget about anything from April/May - unless you can find yourself a nice in-company teaching job. But these are likely to be well sought after by anyone wanting to stay there over the summer - and they have a head start on you.

Study / Language Schools In Wroclaw. [6]

Just my two cents...


Oh why oh why did you waste your money doing this? It's very unlikely that most schools will recognise it - and while it gives you a good grounding in English grammar, it's pretty much seen as useless. I'm not one who thinks that qualifications are the be-all and end-all of teaching (they're not) - but this really is worthless if you're applying to any school which demands qualifications from their teachers.


This is good - the skills are transferable. The fact that you've done it in a 'real world' setting as opposed to a classroom setting is also good.


Yup, go straight in and be forceful about arranging meetings.


You can aim for 50zl per teaching hour if you're preparing lessons - though it's by no means certain, especially as Wroclaw isn't lacking in foreigners who can teach. It can go as low as 30zl - though personally, I'd steer clear of such a low offer. Realistically, if you aim for 40zl an hour, you've got a good chance of finding employment.

However - hours are a different beast. Do not believe any promises - judge schools by what they actually give you.

UK, Ireland / Brits to protest against foreigners in the workforce, including Poles. [289]


I think the problem in the UK education system is that there's no definitive agreement on the best way to proceed. It certainly wasn't helped by the slashing cuts in Further Education made a few years back - would you believe that the UK barely funds ESL education?


Post 206 is an excellent example - 5 children, all of which will attract benefits and tax credits.

UK, Ireland / Brits to protest against foreigners in the workforce, including Poles. [289]

Of course. Why not?

I'm sorry, but I have little to no sympathy for people who use being simple as an excuse - plenty of thick kurwa boys managed to get by in the UK just fine. The fact that they haven't even considered relocating means that I have no sympathy - plenty of people were forced to emigrate from Scotland across the ocean to find a new life - so sympathy is somewhat lacking there.

How many people who are complaining now about immigrants voted Labour in 1997 and 2001, I wonder?

It's also worth noting that the UK could have reinstated work permits for Polish workers when the crisis hit - there was absolutely nothing stopping them from doing so.

UK, Ireland / driving instruction in Polish (Gloucestershire area) [14]


What, in the UK?

British driving standards are incredibly high - they're only inferior to the Germans and Scandinavians as far as Europe is concerned.

(and yet some deluded Poles are actually convinced that the British are worse drivers!)

UK, Ireland / Brits to protest against foreigners in the workforce, including Poles. [289]


The Common Agricultural Policy and Common Fisheries Policy makes me sick - it's the two aspects of EU policy that I'm strongly, firmly against. It's also the reason that I suspect that an independent Scotland may very well have refused to take EU membership.

Work / Is it normal for companies/schools in Poland to be rude? [116]


This needs to change, and change quickly. It's the one huge failing in the Polish education system - and is the reason why many people don't have any faith whatsoever in Polish degrees.

Work / Is it normal for companies/schools in Poland to be rude? [116]


The problem here is that you're looking at it from the point of view of "how can I make as much cash as possible?". Sure, I would be shocked if many directors were taking home anywhere near a native that worked 25 hours a week - but at the same time, the teacher has absolutely no job security.

There's also the fact that you're absolutely at the whim of the director(s) in question - if they decide that you're dead wood, what can you do? It's much harder for school owners to remove a director mid-year than it is for a school to get rid of a teacher. Let's also not forget that natives are, by nature, higher paid - and if the school needs to save money, what are they going to cut? It'll be the native every time - after all, at least in big cities, it's really not hard to find a native teacher willing to take on a few hours here and there.

Law / To know about the Jatux company in Poland? [33]

pons - my advice in this matter is to send myself (office@lindenia) copies of all correspondence - I'm trying to build up a case against Jatux, and I have a feeling that debt recovery may be more effective than going through the court system.

I have a suspicion that the Jatux company may not actually be aware of what's happened - as it seems "Andzrej Dąbkowski" may not actually exist.

Travel / Rented car from Germany to Poland [15]

And to add to this, just because there's no controls doesn't mean anything - you absolutely must carry a valid travel document (the Karta Pobytu/driving licence isn't enough) when crossing an internal border.

Law / To know about the Jatux company in Poland? [33]


I've been talking about this with rt2009 via e-mail - if you can send me a mail at office@lindenia, I'll be happy to include you in with the discussion.

I'm almost certain that this is a clear cut case of fraud - unfortunately, recovery of the money may be much easier said than done.

Work / Is it normal for companies/schools in Poland to be rude? [116]


Plenty of people don't have the choice or the luxury to pretend to be a "teacher" (despite having next to nothing in the way of qualifications - CELTA - don't make me laugh) and earning good money for doing so.

Do you really think all those tram and bus drivers are on much more than 1800zl netto?


True, but even in schools that deal with English only, you still see Polish management and nothing in the way of native teachers running things. I don't know if it's because Polish owners don't trust natives, or if the natives simply aren't capable of running schools. Fair enough, in small cities, there may not be the chance to manage - but in bigger cities?


That's a very interesting viewpoint - I don't agree or disagree.


In theory, they shouldn't be using Polish - but if you've got someone who doesn't understand a thing in English, then can you really blame them for using another language to make the point?


That's one of the best observations written on this website, and I agree.

Work / Is it normal for companies/schools in Poland to be rude? [116]


I would question what kind of manager hires that many inexperienced staff, especially when there are plenty of Poles out there with 20 years of experience in a free market and plenty of others with work experience gained abroad.


There was a good post somewhere about this - the problem is that many native teachers are happy to turn up, teach, file paperwork and go home without bothering themselves in the running of the business. Polish teachers are actually far more industrious in this respect - which is why I think we see so little natives actually in ESL management.

I also don't think there's any way for unions to get in - I know the vast majority of school owners would simply not give any hours to someone who was involved with a union - and who is going to risk losing all their hours mid-year just for the sake of unionising?

Work / Is it normal for companies/schools in Poland to be rude? [116]


There are ways of doing it though that are constructive - whining and moaning about Poland on public forums won't change anything, but getting out there and changing it will.

Travel / Rented car from Germany to Poland [15]

There's no green cards anymore within the EU - you just need the insurance documents. But you have to check - many rental companies are funny with what countries you can take a car to - it's not a given that they will automatically allow the car to be taken to Poland.

One thing to bear in mind when renting a car in the EU is that insurance policies can be different to what you expect from the US.