Poland's instability? Voivodships and education.

Some say things change too slowly in Poland, but in some cases the opposite may be true. The USA has had 50 states for half a century. Before that the 49th (maybe Arizona) may have been added back in around 1912 (off the top of my head).

Now Poland, just since WW2 has had 13 voivodships, then 17, then 49 and now 16.
Or take education. First there was a 7-year primary and 4-year secondary schiool. The primary was later extended to 8 years. Under Gierek they were planning to introduce a Soviet-style 10-latka (primary and secodnary crammed into 10 years). In free Poland a middle school was introduced, now some want to do away with it and revert to 8 + 4.

The textbook poublishers and sellers are having a field day.
In other areas as well, each new government wants to make everyhting over, but the net result is often instabiltiy and chaos. Any ideas on this?

So what would your preference be regarding education? It's an interesting subject for me as we have two kids that are poles apart. Starting school at 7 seems to have been disastrous for one child as the child has more interesting things to do than being educated. I've tried every tactic I can think of to get him interested, and on occasions I see willing but now understand this to be playing the game. He's definitely smart in some respects. The other started at 5 and a 18 months later is reading with children a year higher, is unrecognisable from her English peers in her spoken language, a wants to impress both me and her mother with her talents. It feels like the ship sailed with the older child, he missed his moment to shine, and I despair sometimes at our inability to motivate him in the right direction. I get damned angry with the school which is more than willing to accept mediocrity and congratulate children who are failing. That makes me sound harsh but when the achievements are at a level 3 years below, I see a need to say well done but we need to catch up or the child becomes happy with their minimal effort as they have been rewarded gratuitously for little or no achievement.

Maybe I'm wrong and it will all come good one day. I hope so.

I'm no expert in the primary education field and was only trying to point out the instabiltiy of things in Poland. To that I might add that at present there is a national debate as to whether to start kids at age six. Parents are divded.

The issue of two kids growing up in the same family and yet being so different is a common occurrence. No-one really knows why that is if both chidlren were treated equally.

One possible solution is the subtle use of peer pressure. If you can get your child to make friends with someone more motivated and ambitious, that might do the trick. But really it's a toss-up, and all one can do is hope for the best, At any rate, good luck!

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