POLAND





1st Gimnazjum in Rydułtowy Our school is not a very big one, having about 400 students. They are taught and helped by 40 teachers. The school is located in a typically industrial town. The town population is about 22 thousand. The main working place in our area is the coal mine, which gives employment to a lot of inhabitants of the town. Other branch of industry that is developing in town is the service sector. The environment our students come from is quite diverse. Apart from students who are doing well (having stabilised family and material background) we have quite a few pupils coming from poor families or students raised by one parent only. Lots of our students don't have a chance to go abroad and many can't afford it. We realise that a Comenius multilateral project can make it possible. Although there aren't any migrant or refugee children attending the school, we do have a few students who are at risk of social exclusion. Beside regular classes we have three integration units in which there are also mentally handicapped students (mild level). Moreover, we have one special unit for students with moderate level of mental retardation. We want also these students to be involved in the project so that they feel and are appreciated. The idea that they will participate in an international enterprise will surely encourage them to do some research and work in terms of the topic issues. The Polish school is going to be the coordinating school in the project. We already have some experience in international cooperation gained thanks to previous Comenius multilateral partnership as well as other bilateral projects. Our school can boast of friendly atmosphere which can be observed and experienced on entering our community. Teachers know all their students by name, there aren't any anonymous pupils in school. Also, the students are pretty much disciplined. They wear uniforms and IDs. We engage in lots of different actions, especially as far as charity and ecology go. When we take up an activity we always perform it with huge care and commitment. Our previous Comenius project was among best projects done between 2009-2011, being chosen a "star project".

About our country
 * Poland** (Polish: //Polska//), officially the **Republic of Poland.**



A country in Central Europe, bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north.

The total area of Poland is ** 312,679 square kilometres ** (120,726 sq mi).

Poland has a population of over ** 38.5 million people **.

Administrative division: Poland is made up of ** 16 voivodeships **.

Poland is a member of the European Union, NATO and the United Nations.

Currency: ** Złoty (PLN) ** 1 złoty = ca. 0,25 euro

President: ** Bronisław Komorowski ** (since 2010)

Prime Minister: ** Donald Tusk ** (since 2007)