Schulleitertreffen Polen 2. - 7.4.2014

Interview with Agata Gutorska from Poland

What's your school's name?
"IV Liceum Ogólnoksztalcace im. Komisji Edukacji Narodowej"

What have the Comenius-topics (equality, tolerance, respect, well-being) changed at your school?
"I think that the students have got a great opportunity to learn from different cultures, and that has taught them e.g. tolerance and respect against different cultures."

What would you change in the Comenius-project?
"If we think about the future, I think we'll have to change almost everything and make up something totally different in order to get money for the next project."

What do you do on your free time?
"First of all I'm a mother, so my evenings go by the stove cooking etc. But I also like skiing and mountain climbing. I also spend time with my friends, and I'm an eager gardener; the best place to relax is my own garden!"

Will you miss the Comenius-project?
"Not the project, but I'm surely going to miss the people involved, because some of us have known each other for almost ten years now, and I think that the friendships that have evolved during the project will last forever."

Name three things from the notions that students have made on their trips which you could really consider changing at your school.
"I really like the concept of school uniforms and pictures of graduation years. I also would like to offer the students a more modern cafeteria, although it isn't a very easy task, because the cafeteria is owned by a private company, not by the school."

Which notions would be impossible to fulfill?
"It isn't really possible to change the schedule in a way, that school would begin at 9a.m. instead of 8, because then we'd have to be at school longer in the afternoon, which could be a problem especially for the students that live in the suburb areas. It's also quite impossible to get a tennis hall or a swimming pool to our school, because we don't even have the room for them. Letting the students leave the school area during the day isn't possible either, because the school is responsible for the students until their school day finishes."

Interview with Gergely Pásztor, the headmaster of Táncsics Mihály Gimnázium in Dabas, Hungary

What’s your name?
My name is Gergely Pásztor…
What’s your school’s name?
…and I am the headmaster of Táncsics Mihály Gimnázium.
How do you feel about the trip and accomodation?
I quite enjoyed our trip, I really liked the hotel too.
What changes in your school were made by four Comenius topics (tolerance, respect, equality and feeling well in the school)?
Our school’s education focuses a lot on respect and students’ comfort and I think this is what others can learn from us. We should learn to be more tolerant though.
What would you change in the Comenius Project?
Nothing, I think it’s okay the way it is.
From the list of students’ requests, what would you consider doable and, on the other hand, what petitions seem impossible to fulfill?
I really liked the idea of implementing uniforms in our school, just like in England, I will take it under my consideration. Also, our educational system definitely needs modernisation. It’s almost like in the 19th century. It’s a good idea to get some technological solutions involved. What I’m opposed to is definitely the idea of setting vending machines on the school corridors. It would just make the students throw their money out while getting unhealthy food and drinks in exchange. However, what’s certainly not possible is making the lessons last shorter.
Apart from ruling the school, what do you do in your free time?
Well, I have five children, so you can imagine that I never get bored, we play together all the time. Besides family, I am really passionate about folk dancing. I love Hungarian traditional music.
Will you miss the time spent on and with Comenius?
Yes, I will miss the project for sure, especially the staff and friends I have made. We’ve been working together on this project for such a long time, and now we have to split up.
by Lisa Jurek & Stanisław Drozd

Interview with Gerrit Ulmke Helmholzschule

Today we spoke with the head teacher from the German school .We asked him many questions.
First we asked him how students call him in his school, and he answered Gerrit Ulmke.
I asked him about the trip to Poland and he told me that he got here by plane. Gerrit Ulmke lives in Frankfurt, his trip wasn't very long. It only takes him 15 minutes to get to the airport and one hour to fly from Frankfurt to Poland.
Later we asked him if he enjoys the Comenius project and what he thinks about it. He told us that he really enjoys the project and that he would love to visit Finnland next time because he hadn’t been there before and he really would like to see this country. He really enjoys our team in Poland because as he thinks we are making a great job!
We changed the topic and I asked him if he had been to the Old Market, he answered that he had been there several times. I asked him if he was there about 12 o’clock because at this time on the top of the tower there are goats that are hitting each other. The last question was about the sights he really wants to see in Poznan in the next days.

Programm in Poznan

schedule_head_teacher_Poznan (1).docx

Interview with Ari Toropainen Iitin lukio

Interviewers: What is your name?
Finnish Principal: Ari Toropainen

I: What is your school name?
FP: Iitin lukio

I: How was your trip from Finnland to Poland?

FP: I traveled from Helsinki to Copenhagen and from Copenhagen to Poznań, it is a very short trip and all went well.

I: The four topics of Comenius are tolerance, equality, respect and well being. Which changes did these four topics do at your school?

FP: The topic of tolerance changed a lot, so the students learned to tolerate each other and as so as the people from other countries. The respect for their own school system changed as well, because the students were able to experience the school systems of other countries and started to respect their own a little more.

I:What will you really change from the list?

FP: I would like to have a good library with many computers. Also what I like is the respect for the school and between the students.
The idea of teamwork is my favourite one. This is a very good strategy of learning how to deal with a group. That's very useful for the students.

I: What will be difficult to fulfill?

FP: The new computer system is the hardest issue to solve, because of the money that we don't have.
Another difficulty would be to put the teamwork into practice. This is a completely new way of thinking.
Next there is a point of the close relations between teachers and the students. The second ones may not notice the border in such contacts and loose their respect for the tutors.

I: Which change would you prefer about the comenius project?

FP: I wouldn't change anything. Firstly, because it would be hard to change the system and secondly because it is a good one.
The Comenius project is all good and has many advantages, for example getting to know new people, their countries and cultures...

I: Will you miss comenius project?

FP: No because we actually planned to apply for a new one. In my opinion it is a very good team and very good realtion between the countries and the headmasters.

I: What is your plan after ruling the school?

FP: I have only five years to retiring and then I will do my passions and a bit of work. I will travel and watch the nature. Especially I will go around Europe, for example to Germany in order to do some biking tours, after that I will go to Great Britan because they have many opportunities to hike.
I will also travel to Poland because the journey is not so long and the country is still developing, this is what I like about it..

I: Thank you for the interview.

FP: No, problem. See you at lunch time.