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OPPORTUNITIES OF PREPARING CHILDREN FROM RURAL AREAS IN POLAND FOR SELF-EDUCATION
M. Warzecha
Every age is good for learning and human life has no other purpose than education...
John Amos Comenius
In my deliberations I want to raise quite an important problem, which is preparation of children from rural areas for self-education. Self-education is constant development of a store of knowledge and qualifications, as well as intellectual, psychic and professional adaptation to a faster rhythm of changeability, which is a hallmark of contemporary civilization [1, p. 7]. This process is inseparably connected with living conditions and also with the environment in which a given person lives.
In Poland there are about 10 mln kids and youths, out of whom half live in the countryside. According to the data of the Central Statistical Office from 2011, the number of children from countryside areas aged 3-6 was 681 thousand, while from urban areas over 909 thousand. In the age group 7-12 there were about one million children (1003,8 thousand) in rural areas, while in urban areas 1187,8 thousand children [2, p. 190].
The conditions for the development and education of country children are locally, educationally and familially diverse. As the research of the Central Statistical Office demonstrates, the situation of families in the countryside became worse because of socio-political changes in Poland. What belongs to them is mass unemployment, reduction of expenses from the Budget allocated for social purposes, as well as low profitability of agricultural production, liquidation of the state-owned farms, restructuring of economy, and, consequently, the fall of the income of country people. These changes triggered off mass unemployment and poverty in the country. Over half the children from the families who once worked in the state-owned farms are brought up in unfavourable conditions as for development. People born after 1990, which means in a new political-economic reality, can’t count on any help from parents, because they were affected with negative results of the changes in Poland. Consequently, these people often have parents who go abroad to work. It also happens that they live in groups of over ten people in one room, without a bathroom, furniture, hygiene products; sometimes they only live off an allowance or pension of grandparents. There is not enough money for food, textbooks, journeys to schools.
It should be noted that not in all families in the country the financial situation is difficult. There are villages which are located nearer urban areas, in which living conditions are much better. It is mostly connected with with greater access to cultural-educational infrastructure as well as possibilities of getting a job in cities. There are also farmers-producers who own big farms and whose financial situation is very good, which gives the children a chance for a better education [3, p. 53].
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Another unfavourable phenomenon as far as education of children is concerned is a low level of parents' education. Low education of people living in the country (only 2 % have higher education) causes that parents cannot adequately manage the intellectual development of a child, do not make use of cultural achievements, do not help their child in learning as well as in development of skills. Also, inhabitants of the countryside do not feel a need for improving their qualifications, to a very small degree participate in the process of constant (steady) education. It is known that together with scientific-technical progress, selfeducation becomes a necessity and the knowledge gained at schools tends to be insufficient [3, p. 84].
The process of upbringing in such environments often takes place by intuition because of low pedagogic awareness of the parents. Such parents usually lack competence which would help in managing the development of children and making important decisions concerning education.
Talking about the situation of a child in a country family, it should be stated that they have a worse childhood - childhood of unequal chances. Children from country environments encounter on their way many barriers, which are the cause of a "blockade" of chances for development and usually make them have worse school achievements, limited possibilities of developing interests, learning foreign languages, developing correct communicative skills, have more modest plans and educational-professional ambitions, and, consequently, life ambitions. As a result, they tend to have lowered self-esteem. We can speak here of o childhood of unequal educational chances, a worse childhood.
What deserves special attention is the level of early education in Poland. Average expenses allocated for education are close to the average of the countries of the EU. However, these resources give access to education to a much smaller number of children. It is connected with lack of flexibility of spending money on early education. Until recently, in Poland there was only one form of pre-school education, namely kindergarten. Currently, there are more alternative forms of preschool education with a smaller number of hours and with small groups of different ages, where classes are conducted by only one teacher. These forms of education are good as far as the needs and possibilities of country communities are concerned, but do not let solve all problems, such as more difficult access to preschool institutions, because of the dispersion of places of living. The accessibility and universality of childcare in country environments are not low, but very diverse when we compare the city with the country. While in cities 62% of children from the group age from 3 to 5 years old attended kindergartens, in country communities it was only 19% (data from 2006). While in cities the level and accessibility of education increases and is getting better and better (increase from 40% to 60% during 10 years), in rural areas this process is much slower, and in recent years almost does not undergo any changes at all. Children from country environments have the greatest problem with access to early education.
The main cause of this phenomenon is the fact that country areas are less densely populated, which is connected with increase of costs and makes it difficult to organize early school education. In addition, country communities are poorer
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than urban ones and do not receive any means from the central fund for the upkeep of kindergartens. Poland is one of the few countries of the European Union, where early educatipon is not financed by the state [4].
Lack of access to early education institutions is quite an important problem, especially in rural areas, because as early as at the pre-school age, a child - with some help of a pedagogue - can develop his or her interests and skills. Parents, sending a child to such an institution, can get to know what talents their child has, in what way they can develop them, and how to direct further education. Not so long ago it was believed in Poland that children at the pre-school age have limites abilities of abstract thinking, as well as assimilating complex ideas, that is why preschool educational institutions usually had a protective-educational character. However, the newest results of the research have shown that during the first years of life the brain of a child achieves 60% of the size of the brain of an adult person, which in turn influences intellectual development and broadening of skills [4]. That is why I believe that children living in rural areas are in quite a difficult situation as far as preparation for constant (steady) education is concerned. Parents are often unaware of the fact that their behaviour towards the child has a major influence his or her future kinds of bahaviour, as an adult. But over the first 2-3 years of life it is them who have exclusive contact with the child. Often burdened with too numerous duties, tired of everyday life, they focus only on protective functions. The values of education and development of the child's skills at the pre-school age are usually omitted by them.
Taking further stages of education into condideration, the situation is visibly better. Country communities authorities organize journeys to primary or junior high schools and cover the costs. It is also satisfying that additional musical education, language and sports classes are organized at schools. Pupils have more chances for development, as well as broadening of their interests. However, what causes anxiety is that extra classes are often organized in the afternoons, which is connected with with additional journey to school, for which a parent is responsible. Often (for the above-mentioned reasons), parents do not make use of classes of this kind.
Summing up the deliberations concerning preparation of country children for self-education, one can conclude that they struggle with many adversities which have their sources in the local environment, with financial and regional barriers, with functioning of schools. Wanting to achieve the same results as for gaining knowledge, additional skills, broadening their talents, they must put in it much more work and effort in comparison with their peers from cities. It often happens that country children have many more home duties, which sometimes occupy more free time, than children from cities and this is one of the main causes of smaller effectiveness in the process of self-education. The effort that is put in education unfortunately guarantees nothing, but gives potential possibilities, chances for further development and a better future. What deserves special attention is the fact that ambitious children from such environments, fighting with miscellaneous adversities, after getting education, achieving a success in adult life, can appreciate endeavours and work of others, and are usually very good, reputable people.
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For the above-mentioned reasons I believe that it is worth supporting education of country children. It cannot be one-time help, because it will not bring the expected effects. However, the first step in this aspect is noticing the problem and the willingness to come to people's aid.
References
1. K. Symela, Zasady wdrazania i oceny modutowych programow szkoleniowych dorostych MPiPS, Warszawa 1997, s. 7.
2. Rocznik Statystyczny Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej 2012, Warszawa 2012, s. 190.
3. B. Matyjas, Dziecinstwo na wsi, warunki zycia i edukacji, Impuls, Krakow 2012, s. 53.
4. Raport o Kapitale Intelektualnym Polski, Warszawa 2008.
The work written under the supervision of Ewa Kula, PhD. f Ewa Kula,
senior doctorate in Pedagogics
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