Polish presidential couple send back-to-school wishes

In a special letter, President Andrzej Duda and his wife, Agata Kornhauser-Duda, said the fate of the world was largely decided in families and schools.

“That is where people – countrymen, citizens – mature. That is where we learn that our past is not a fossil, but a unique asset from previous generations and heritage to which we all have rights,” the presidential couple said, adding that students were encouraged to leave their mark on the future.

Their letter paid special attention to history lessons and appealed to school communities to join in next year's centenary of independence celebrations when, on 11 November, Poland will mark 100 years since returning to the map of Europe after 123 years of partitions.

Duda and his wife wished all students good grades and said they hoped first-graders would find school to be a place where they would go willingly.

More than 4.9 million students are heading back to school across the country after the summer break on Monday.

Starting the new school year are 714,200 elementary school students, including 371,000 first graders, in addition to 473,200 high schoolers and 465,800 secondary technical school students, according to education ministry data.

The reforms drew massive protests. Critics said the plans had been pushed through quickly without sufficient consultation and that they would cost thousands of teachers their jobs -- claims that the government denied. (vb/gs/pk)

Source: IAR, gazetaprawna.pl