The Children of Foreigners in Polish Lower Secondary Schools — Two Strategies of Coping with Them

Abstract

The research report is based upon study carried out in Poland within the project “Xenophob. The European Dilemma: Institutional Patterns and Politics of ‘Racial’ Discrimination.” Part of the project entailed conducting interviews and making visits in Polish schools attended by immigrant children. The paper presents selected results of a study regarding the situation of refugee pupils in Polish educational system. The research report is based on the analysis of semi-structured interviews with teachers, other school staff, members of NGO’s based, or connected with, two lower secondary schools. In the research report I compare two very different situations of refugee pupils: the first school had to admit pupils from the hostel that is located in the school’s cachment, the second school actively attracts refugee pupils to promote its tolerance teaching programs. The strategies developed by schools are called: strategy of admittance and strategy of encouragement.