For a decade the Polish language has been heard in the playgrounds of Scottish schools as thousands of children whose parents moved to Scotland with EU expansion settled in alongside Scots.
Talks to put Polish language on curriculum under way
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Until now there was no prospect of a formal route for young Poles to be able to take Polish language as part of the fourth and fifth year curriculum despite the research showing Polish is the language young Scots are most likely to hear in school other than English.
Talks are under way, however, to make the provision a reality for the first time.
It is also catching on, the research shows. While Polish children have been learning Polish in Saturday schools a small number of Scottish children attracted by the expressive lilt of their friends’ language have also joined in and are taking lessons.
A new report currently being considered by the minister for learning and languages at Holyrood recommends Polish is offered along with French and Spanish as part of the standard suite of modern languages.
Currently Polish is only offered to qualification level through 17 community run Saturday schools while only two schools, both in Edinburgh – Drummond Community High and Dalry Primary – offer afternoon classes in Polish.
The network of community Polish schools could be easily adapted, the report commissioned by the cross-party group on Poland at Holyrood and currently in the hands of Alasdair Allan, learning and languages minister.
Dr. Anna Martowicz, a Polish language teacher and linguist, programme coordinator at the Frederic Chopin Polish Centre for Culture and Education in Edinburgh and chairperson of the Association for the Promotion of Polish Language Abroad, prepared the report with Dr Andrew Roach, a senior lecturer in history at Glasgow University, who has taught and published on Polish history.
The academics said some 12000 are currently educated in Scottish schools and nurseries. In Aberdeen there are 820, Edinburgh 3300, Glasgow
890 and Perth and Kinross 500.
Jean Urquhart, the independent Highlands and Islands MSP who chairs the cross party group on Poland and commissioned the report, said the move would reap long term benefits.
She said: “Polish people are working in all levels of Scottish society now.
“We have probably not really recognised the growth of the Polish community right across Scotland.
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