Life in Poland

What to do? What to do?

Vice-Principal: We strive to make our school a welcoming place for our students. And I see that this an extremely important issue for you as parents. What to do? What to do?

Parent a.k.a. Misiu: It is not extremely important. It is normal important. We have the right for our child not to participate in “Religia”. That right has been violated, and we demand it to be respected.

Vice-Principal: We need to find some practical solution. What to do? What to do? We wanted to put an indication that certain children do not attend “Religia” in the class book but other parents didn’t agree.

Parent a.k.a. Misiu: Our child raised her hand and said that she doesn’t attend “Relgia”. The nun knows that she doesn’t attend “Religia”. Three children from that group do not attend.

Vice-Principal: What to do? What to do? Maybe some other indication? Some kind of list posted on the door or some other markings or labeling?

Parent a.k.a. Misiu (nodding in mocking deference): Perhaps some armbands? Or gold stars?

Vice-Principal (embarrassed and understanding the significance of what she has suggested): No, no, of course not some kind of markings. No, no that wouldn’t work.

What to do?

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  • Reply
    Ingwen
    June 26, 2014 at 3:23 pm

    Wow. Why on Earth would she want to indicate that some children do not attend religia? I can't think of a reasonable explanation.

  • Reply
    Chris
    June 26, 2014 at 5:18 pm

    So that they don't keep \”accidentally\” ending up in religia, I suppose.

  • Reply
    Chris
    June 26, 2014 at 5:19 pm

    They have never \”accidentally\” attended extra tennis lessons, or dance or ceramics. And when we didn't pay for their lunch on time, they didn't \”accidentally\” feed them either.

  • Reply
    Wojtek
    June 26, 2014 at 8:21 pm

    Jeśli ktoś nie chce chodzić na religię to można nakazać pani dyrektor , aby była etyka zamiast religii . Obowiązkiem dyrektora jest zapewnić edukację taką jaką chcą rodzice .

  • Reply
    Anonymous
    June 27, 2014 at 4:09 am

    When the kids go to religia, can your daughter simply say, \”ja nie chodze\” and be allowed to, for example, read a book for an hour? I suppose I don't understand the problem — they MAKE her go even if she says the director knows she's been excused? Dorota in Colorado

  • Reply
    Chris
    June 27, 2014 at 5:21 am

    The problem is that my children have been forced to attend Religia several times each year since they have started school. Unfortunately, Ethics doesn't solve that problem. It doesn't work like that that part of the class goes to Catechism and the rest goes to Ethics at the same time. Ethics is often organized at a completely different time including children from other classes to maximize the number of kids in the group. Anyhow, I don't want to send my girls to Ethics. I want the school to stop sending them to Religion.Soon this problem will resolve for my children when the younger one gets older. The older one just leaves the room herself. But the younger one, in the last incident, did raise her hand and did say \”ja nie chodze\” and the nun wouldn't let her out. She claimed it was too dangerous????We had 2 meetings with the principals and the nun this week and they have assured us that it was the last time and that procedures will now be put in place. They didn't actually get it, why we were so upset, but we'll see. I am waiting for the next ostatni raz.

  • Reply
    Anonymous
    June 28, 2014 at 4:26 pm

    This may end up being an interesting lesson in diversity and freedom for the school director/teachers. May they learn something from it! (The nun of course is a lost cause.) Hang in there. Being a pioneer is hard. Dorota in Colorado

  • Reply
    Chris
    June 29, 2014 at 3:44 pm

    Dorota, I hope you are right. Thanks for the support.

  • Reply
    Anonymous
    July 1, 2014 at 6:25 am

    American woman as a pioneer in Europe. Crazy world !!

  • Reply
    Unknown
    July 1, 2014 at 12:26 pm

    You should kontakt Kuratorium and complain about the school's conduct. Forcing your children to attend religia is unacceptable, even in Polakistan. When I attended school, in the early 90s (also known as dark ages), skipping religia was unthinkable. Yet thanks to my mother's unforgiving approach I was never forced to attend, and the nun who told other children that I am \”godless\” was kicked out.

  • Reply
    Chris
    July 1, 2014 at 1:26 pm

    Anon-Cool, I will call myself a pioneer. That's probably not what they call me at school ;)W.Z.- We gave the principals fair warning that if it happens again, we are not coming to them but to Kuratorium. I will try to be as diligent as your mother was. Fortunately for our children, the other kids don't care who goes or doesn't go to Religia.Thanks again for the words of support especially as the school reminds us that we are the only ones who have made a fuss.

  • Reply
    Unknown
    July 1, 2014 at 4:15 pm

    Children at my school weren't bothered by my absence either, that's why my mum was furious when she learned that a nun told them \”I am godless\” because I didn't attend. First thing she did was writing a quote from the Bible (although an atheist, she's also philosopher and knows those books) which said something along the lines of \”Whoever calls his brother \”godless\”, shall be in danger of hell fire.\”She then instructed me to show it to other children, while she went to the principal and did enough to get that nun kicked out of school. I regard my mum as a badass ever since ;-)Later in my education (at a different school) I brought in a game magazine to school. One of ultra catholic teachers noticed some screenshot from a game depicting hooded people. She accused me of being a \”satanist\” and confiscated the magazine. Again, my mother intervened in such way, that I received my magazine back the next day with a huge apology.

  • Reply
    Chris
    July 2, 2014 at 12:18 pm

    W.Z. – I would like to meet your mother 🙂 I think we'd get along just fine.

  • Reply
    Anonymous
    July 6, 2014 at 9:48 pm

    What is normal Poland isn't normal in US and opposite

  • Reply
    Anonymous
    July 6, 2014 at 10:29 pm

    Welcome in Poland where the smallest problem of growing up for the tremendous size that can be compared with such film titles as a 2012 or Armageddon, and that he is not to mention about the apocalypse or nuclear war. But you live here long enough, to discovered it.

  • Reply
    bilbo bagginski
    October 22, 2014 at 7:06 pm

    Yea, had the same problem. After signing three different forms, speaking to the school director, the head teacher AND the nun in Sept. Here's what followed:Second week of Oct, I'm walking home with my daughter.Me – so, what did you learn at school today?Daughter – about how Jesus died on a cross for our sins… did that hurt daddy?I nearly lost my shit.

  • Reply
    Chris
    October 23, 2014 at 1:28 pm

    Yeah, we have Pope Day tomorrow.

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