This text contents my private feelings, impressions, opinions and conclusions. I reserve the right to unintentional mistake, which can be caused by my unawareness. Furthermore this work describes only this part of school life, which directly concerns the point. Text in normal font describes my subjective impressions but I decided to run supplements in italics to give some objective observations.

At the very beginning I must say that there aren't any problems in my school in the meaning You have expected. For example in the past three years I haven't heard of any event of bullying in school. What is more every year first and second classes have meetings with the policemen to prevent us from such situations. There are also few thefts in this school thanks to locked wardrobes, which are similar to those on American movies. In my judgement the real problem of my school is overpopulation. Maybe it can seem to You as something funny or insignificant but this is (in my private opinion) the real reason of every other problems. To explain my train of thoughts I must describe present situation in school. Because of Polish Educational System Reform there aren't any first-year students in our school this year (01/02). Nevertheless there are more students in the school then there were three or four years ago. You'll ask why it is allowed to happen. Of course present situation in school is under influence of city' s policy and situation in the country. It is well known that population boom is a hard experience for both: students and teachers. The answer is simple. Even though it is written in Polish Constitution that education in public school is free of charge, in our school (as far as I know this is common to most public schools in Poland) there is voluntary fund-raising for Parent's Council Fund. The money received from city's authorities isn't enough to maintain the school so it is unwanted but necessary to raise the money from other sources. Parent's Council Fund is just one of them. As this is the public school, fees can't be charged.

So the more students there are in the school the more money can be spent on school's equipment. The face of the school is continuously changing. Thanks to Parent Council Fund lots of investments were undertaken. Some classrooms redecorations, modern and well-equipped body building gym, new windows, adaptation of the air-raid shelter, new furniture are the most recent examples. It sounds good, isn't it? But the other side of the coin is that the school isn't adapted for such a large number of people. The level of noise and stress is gradually and continuously growing. Furthermore the crowd and shortage of fresh air inside the school is so annoying that sometimes it is hard to stand it. I suppose that lots of Copernicus's students can see it now. All we can do is to be nice and tolerant. This is the only way to make the life in school easier.
Jarek Wójcik

Rafal's Opinion

School could be great, everyone may there feel fine, learn with pleasure, it can become "second home" and almost perfect one. But like in other schools there are some problems, which sabotage the atmosphere, success, education and the pupil's mental confidence.

Our Copernicus in Czestochowa has many problems, even those invisible for pupils. I discovered some school troubles during my three years of education here.

First of all, the size of our school is unsuitable for such a huge crowd of people. Simply, our school is overpopulated. The classes consist of too many pupils, what isn't favouring us in learning.This is the main reason of almost every other problem here.

We have an access to Internet, but unfortunately some classes finish computer studies after second year. Because of the problem of overpopulation of school, the opportunity to use the computer is too small, although we have received 4 newest PC's, which are in our library now. The students can use them of course, but only under the teacher's guidance. What is more our web site is not up-to-date, but the situation can be improved, because there are more and more excellent students in our school, who are very keen on Internet.

The next trouble is a difficulty in mutual understanding between teachers and students. Many changes and reforms were made in school in the last years. It was often done in a hurry. Decisions were need to be made quickly, without proper preparations. No one asked pupils then. Sometimes decisions were wrong and the students had known the right answer. This situation somehow survived to present days. Times are hard here, but have changed a little for better. Unfortunately, today's problems are regarded as the toughest and are taking too much of teachers attention. I am saying this, because not everybody tries to listen to our ideas, feelings about changes and expectations. We only need a small amount of interest directed for us. We could help each other. The simplest way is to come down and try to listen to objective voices.

The other problem is the discipline. Behaviour and manners of some of the learners are far away to those perfect ones. That's why keeping the order in school can be a problem. It consists of a wide variety of issues, from a simple disturbing on the lessons to destroying public equipment. Not very often, but there are few troublemakers who do this.

Hours of learning are the next problem, which is caused by the overpopulation at school. There are too many students in too many classes, so to ensure full-time education for everyone, the plan of our lessons has to be very unequal. This is uncomfortable situation for pupils and for teachers, as well. It could be quite tiring to learn almost everything at a time.

If You see our gym, You will be very surprised. You're wondering why. It's situated on the second floor, over the classrooms - this is the answer. There're even limits of playing persons at a time. We regret that we don't have our own swimming pool. But thanks to other, friendly, pro-sports Sienkiewicz Secondary School, which is allowing us to swim in their swimming pool, we can improve at least that sports abilities. We have problems with sports life and the hope of building a new gymnastic hall is just passing us with words: "We don't have money!". After all, it's not a tragedy. There are quite many pupils with good sports achievements among us. But even the most talented sportsmen won't be the best ones without proprietary training after short time.

The next problem is the shortage of the right equipment in some of our school laboratories. It's probably why we haven't got as many good pupils-scientists as pupils-humanists. But to be honest, the situation is constantly getting better and better.

We have sometimes free time between the lessons and we haven't got enough place in school where we could spend it. The only place is our small café.
So as You see, few problems exist. Mail to me and maybe we both could find some good ways to improve the situation.
Rafal Paradowski