Teachers (nauczyciele) in Poland are unfortunately not making as much money as they do in the USA. And now it is even getting worse…

Over 7,500 teachers look set to lose their jobs over the coming months as schools (szkoły) around the country attempt to cut costs.

In addition to the high level of redundancies (zwolnienia), at least 15,000 teachers will also see their work hours slashed. One of the reasons behind the cuts is a decline (spadek) in the number of Polish students (uczniowie). In 2005, there were approximately 5.9 million school children nationwide, however this number has dropped dramatically and last year figures showed it had fallen to only 4.8 million.

While the figures might not seem like a large amount, the effects will be serious. When considering that there are over half a million teachers in Poland, this might appear to be a small percentage. However, every single loss is a human drama. It’s important to bear in mind that teachers, unfortunately, are often less mobile and more unaccustomed to change. Many often work in the same school for their entire career.

The exact number of redundancies is not yet know, but details are expected to be released in October.

Do następnego razu… (Till next time…)