Kashubian – The Kashubian Language in education in Poland
Foreword
background
For several years now, Mercator-Education has made efforts to achieve one of its principal goals: to gather, store and distribute information on minority language education in European regions. Regional or minority languages are languages which differ from the official language of the state where they are spoken and which are traditionally used within a given territory by nationals of that state forming a group numerically smaller than the rest of the state’s population.
The success of this series of regional dossiers has shown a need for documents stating briefly the most essential features of the educational system of regions with an autochthonous lesser used language. With the establishment of regional dossiers we intend to meet this need.
aim
Regional dossiers aim at providing concise descriptive information and basic educational statistics about minority language education in a specific region of the European Union. This kind of information, such as features of the educational system, recent educational policies, division of responsibilities, main actors, legal arrangements, support structures, and also quantitative information on the number of schools, teachers, pupils and financial investments, can serve several purposes.
target group
Policy makers, researchers, teachers, students and journalists may use the information provided to assess developments in European minority language schooling. They can also use a regional dossier as a first orientation towards further research or as a source of ideas for improving educational provision in their own region.
link with EURYDICE
In order to link these regional descriptions with those of national educational systems, it was decided to follow the format used by Eurydice, the European education information network in the European Union. Eurydice provides information on the administration and structure of education in member states of the European Union. The information provided in the regional dossiers is focussed on language use at the various levels of education.
contents
The remainder of this dossier consists firstly of an introduction to the region under study, followed by six sections each dealing with a specific level of the educational system. These brief descriptions contain factual information presented in a readily accessible way. Sections eight to ten cover research, prospects and summary statistics. For detailed information and political discussions about language use at the various levels of education, the reader is referred to other sources with a list of publications.
1 Introduction
language
Kashubian (or „Cassubian“, in Kashubian: kaszëbizna) is a West Slavic language spoken in northern Poland in the province of Pomerania (województwo pomorskie), mainly in the counties (powiaty) of Gdańsk/Gduńsk, Gdynia/ Gdiniô, Wejherowo/Wejrowò, Puck/Pùck, Lębork/Lãbòrg, Bytów/Bëtowò, Kartuzy/Kartùze, Kościerzyna/Kòscérzna and Chojnice/Chòjnice.
The Kashubs (in Kashubian Kaszëbë, in Polish Kaszubi) inhabit an area of some 6,000 square kilometres on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea – a rectangular area approx. 130 km long and 50 km wide.
Historically and paleoethnologically, the Kashubs are said to be direct descendants of the Pomeranians, a Slavic people that inhabited the Baltic coast between the Vistula (Wisła) and the Oder (Odra) rivers, perhaps even as far westward as the Elbe, in the early Middle Ages, and who long constituted a serious threat to the Lekhits – the ancestors of what later would be the Polish nation. The modern history of Kashubian began in the mid-19th century, with ideas brought by the Spring of Nations and the pan-Slavic movement (cf. Majewicz 1996, Treder 1997, Wicherkiewicz 2000). Since then, the sense of ethnic, regional and linguistic identity has been strengthened by the efforts of various Kashubian writers.
Nowadays, the Kashubian language area is located within the Polish state and simultaneously within the Polish linguistic area, and it is its geographic location that has determined the history, political and social conditions of its population. Kashubian has developed linguistic contacts with Polish (standard and dialectal) and German (standard High German and Low German dialects; cf. Zieniukowa 1997).
Kashubian is divided into numerous local dialects. Some dialectologists estimate that number at over 50; they can, however, be divided into three main groups: northern, central, and southern.
As far as literature, a bibliography of books in Kashubian published between 1944 and 1992 lists 172 titles. This number has grown significantly in the last decade, as some 10-20 new titles of books in Kashubian are being published yearly, among them first translations of world literature such as A. A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh (translated by B. Szymańska & T. Wicherkiewicz). The most important anthologies and handbooks of Kashubian literature are Neureiter 1973, Drzeżdżon 1986 and Neureiter 1991.
An annual competition of Kashubian poetry and recitation Rodnô mòwô („mother tongue“) has been organized for almost 20 years. The last two years also brought enormous popularity to the Kashubian spelling dictation competition; the recent edition being attended by 74 participants.
As far as the press in Kashubian, there are some media in the regional language:
– Pomerania, with an educational supplement Najô ùczba – in Polish and Kashubian.
– Òdroda (http://www.zk-p.pl/odroda) entirely in Kashubian.
– Norda – a weekly supplement in Kashubian and Polish to the daily Dziennik Bałtycki [reachable only in northern region of Kashubs. – annotation D. V. Paždjerski.]
– Przëjôcél ludu Kaszëbsczégò. Przyjaciel ludu Kaszubskiego. Friend of the Kashubian People – a trilingual newsletter of the Kashubian Association of North America (http://ka-na.org).
– [Zwónk Kaszëbsczi. Kashubian bell – entirely Kashubian letter of students of Higher Priest School in Pelplin (zwonk@o2.pl). – annot D. V. Paždjerski]
Furthermore there are two [three. – annot. D. V. Paždjerski] Kashubian youth clubs active: Pomorania (students’ club [www.pg.gda.pl/~pomorani/ . – annot. D. V. Paždjerski]) and Tatczëzna (http://www.zk-p.pl/tatczezna) [and Klub Sztudérów Kaszëbów (zwonk@02.pl). – annot. D. V. Paždjerski].
Besides numerous folk ensembles in almost every village and town of Kashubia, there are two fashionable youth pop groups that perform in Kashubian: Chëcz and Kùtin.
Kashubian also plays a role in ICT nowadays. The year 2003 saw the first ever word processor in Kashubian (Kasz-ed, http://www.kaszubia.com/pl/komputery/ kaszed.htm), the international coding standard (CSB) for Kashubian (http://www.kaszubia.com/kasz/komputre/ kaszebsczi_html.htm), Kashubian fonts (http://www. kaszubia.com/kasz/komputre/pdf.com) and a Kashubian Internet browser (http://k-meleon.kaszubia. com).
population
The area inhabited by the Kashubs has diminished significantly over the centuries. The origin of the Kashubs as an ethnic group can be found among the Pomeranians (cf. above). The Pomeranians moved eastward under the pressure of German colonization and the Slavic elements east of the Oder river disappeared. The Kashubian territory has not changed significantly since the 18th century, apart from specific losses in the western region (present counties of S upsk/Slëpsk, Lębork/Lãbòrg and Bytów/Bëtowò), inhabited earlier by Protestant Kashubs and their linguistic subgroup – Slovincians. Periods of Germanization alternated with waves of Polonization. As the Kashubs were traditionally Catholic, their nobility and middle classes assimilated with the Polish majority.
During the 20th century, the population of Kashubs was estimated as follows:
– 1900 – 102 thousand,
– 1910 – 111 thousand,
– 1926 – 155 thousand,
– 1968 – 140-150 thousand,
– 1975 – 150-220 thousand.
According to the results of the first ever sociodemographic and sociolinguistic research in the late 1980s, the number of Kashubs (i.e. persons who regard themselves as Kashubs or „half-Kashubs“) has been estimated to be between 350 and 500 thousand, including 150-250 thousand of those who were familiar with or could speak Kashubian to some degree (Iskierski & Latoszek 1995). The region of Kashubia is inhabited by a total of 1.5 million people.
The population census of 2002 (the first since 1931!) contained two questions dealing with the questions of „nationality“ and „home language“:
1. „Which nationality do you most identify with?“
2. „Which language(s) do you speak most often at home?“
A total of 5,062 persons answered „Kashubian“ for the first question, almost all of whom reside in the Province of Pomerania (4,897). Answers to the second question were „Kashubian“, „Kashubian and Polish“ and „Polish and Kashubian“ (no distinct data have been published), given by 52,665 persons – cf. http://sp.stat.gov.pl/spis/ludnosc/ tab_wynik.xls.
Several thousand Kashubs live abroad; worth mentioning are Kashubian enclaves in Ontario, Canada.
As the Kashubs are traditionally very much affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church, developments concerning the position of Kashubian in religious life are of extreme importance. At present, masses are celebrated in Kashubian on a weekly basis (in one parish), once a month (in 23 parishes), and 4-5 times a year (in 8 parishes).
In addition to the two translations of the New Testament mentioned below, the publication of a prayer book (Gołąbk & Pryczkowski 1998) is also worth mentioning.
language status
Until the 1990s, during the communist area, according to most linguistic sources, Kashubian was regarded as the most distinct or one of the most distinct dialects of Polish (contemporary Polish is traditionally divided into Great Polish, Little Polish, Mazovian, Silesian, and Kashubian dialects). Those who regard Kashubian as a separate language classify it as a West Slavic languages (together with Polish, Upper and Lower Sorbian, Czech and Slovak), forming with Polish and extinct Polabian, a separate subgroup of so-called Lekhitic languages.
Until 1989, it was prohibited by the Communist censorship to use the noun język (Polish for „language“) in connection with Kashubian. Therefore, the Kashubian scholars, writers and activists used to call their ethnolect kaszubszczyzna („Kashubianness“) or mowa kaszubska („Kashubian speech“).
Since 1989, Kashubian has upgraded its linguistic status significantly. The most important factors contributing to its present position have been:
– Activities of the pan-Kashubian association Zrzeszenie Kaszubsko-Pomorskie, founded in 1956,
– Translation of the New Testament – Kaszëbskô Biblëjô (1992) by F. Grucza and Swięté Pismiona Nowégo Testameńtu (1993) by E. Gołąbk,
– Agreement on a unified spelling system for literary Kashubian (cf. Breza & Treder 1984, Gòłąbk 1997) (two competitive systems had been used prior to 1996),
– Continuous efforts on the part of Kashubian activists to have the language included in all legal acts pertaining to minority issues and official nomenclature,
– Organization of the 39th Congress of the Federal Union of European Nationalities in Gdańsk in 1994,
– Organization of the 6th International Conference on Minority Languages in Gdańsk in 1996 (cf. Synak & Wicherkiewicz 1997).
The 1997 Constitution of the Republic of Poland contains two articles that pertain directly to minority rights, including their linguistic rights:
„Art.27.
Polish shall be the official language of the Republic of Poland. This provision shall not infringe upon national minority rights resulting from ratified international agreements.
(…)
Art.35.
1. The Republic of Poland shall ensure Polish citizens belonging to national or ethnic minorities the freedom to maintain and develop their own language, to maintain customs and traditions, and to develop their own culture.
2. National and ethnic minorities shall have the right to establish educational and cultural institutions and institutions designed to protect their religious identity, as well as to participate in the resolution of matters connected with their cultural identity.“
The 1999 Law on the Polish Language provides for the possibility to introduce a minority language as an „auxiliary“ language in those areas with a „considerable share of non-Polish population“, where minority languages could be used in bilingual place names, in personal first names and surnames, and occasionally in local administration. However, the law lacks appropriate executive regulations, nor does it contain any provisions for usage of minority languages in jurisdiction or state/central administration.
The Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities was signed by Poland in 1995 and ratified in 2000. It has, however, no impact on the legal situation of the Kashubian language, since the (majority of) Kashubs are neither regarded nor regard themselves as a national minority.
In 2003, the government of the Republic of Poland signed the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Its ratification will probably follow the adoption of Law on National and Ethnic Minorities and on the Regional Language by the Polish Parliament. Chapter 4 (art. 17 and 18) of the most recent project as part of the latter contains the following provisions:
„Art. 17:
The regional language as understood by the law is the Kashubian language. The regulations of articles 7-14 will be applied respectively (those pertaining to the usage of minority languages in:
– the spelling of Christian names and family names, private and public life, the official sphere as auxiliary languages, information, as well as geographical names, street names, names of offices and institutions).
Art. 18:
1. The educational rights of persons who speak the language mentioned in art.17 will be exercised on the basis of art. 15 (Article 15 pertains to the rights of persons belonging to minorities to be taught in their minority language and/or in a minority language, as well as to be taught the history and culture of the minority group).
2. The persons who speak the language mentioned in art. 17 have the right to found and run schools and educational institutions that enable teaching of or in the language based on the general regulations.
3. The public authorities are obliged to undertake appropriate measures in order to support all activities aimed at the preservation and development of the language mentioned in art. 17 based on the general regulations.
4. The measures stated in §3 may be granted from the budget of a territorial self-government unit to organizations and institutions that fulfil the tasks aimed at the preservation and development of the language mentioned in art. 17.“
The 1992 Law on radio and TV broadcasting contains a general obligation to meet the needs of national and ethnic minorities in public media.
There is one TV program entirely in Kashubian, Rodnô Zemia („motherland“), which is broadcast twice a week (10 minutes each) by the regional TV station in Gdańsk. Regional TV programs in Gdañsk and S upsk contain materials in Kashubian and are broadcast twice a week for 23 and 20 minutes, respectively.
Two radio programs (mainly) in Kashubian, Na bôtach ë w bòrach („in boats and woods“) and Klëka („news“), are broadcast once a week by the regional radio station in Gdańsk (the former is repeated by the station in Chojnice) for 55 and 10 minutes, respectively. The radio station in Koszalin broadcasts weekly a 5-minute Kashubian news program.
Kashubian radio programs are also available online, such as Wasze Radio („your radio“, http://www.waszeradio.prv. pl) and Domoce zwãczi („home bells“, http://www.sar.pg. gda.pl).
status of language education
The following legal acts are crucial to the status of education of and in minority languages in Poland:
– Law on the system of education of 1991, which grants pupils the right to maintain their national, ethnic, religious and linguistic identity, and in particular to be given classes in/on their mother tongue, as well as their history and culture;
– Decree of the Minister of National Education and Sports on conditions and methods for enabling pupils belonging to national minorities and ethnic groups to maintain their national, ethnic and linguistic identity of 2002 (substituting the previous one issued in 1992, which pertained solely to „national minorities“; the former decree was applied also in relation to the Kashubian language group on the basis of an internal amendment by the then in-office Minister of Education).
education system
The present system of education in Poland has been in effect since September 1999, when the most significant education reform in the recent history of the country took place. School attendance is compulsory between the ages of 6 to 15-16.
The education system in Poland is structured as follows:
I. Kindergarten (przedszkole) – 3-4 to 6-7 years
II. Primary school (szkoła podstawowa) – 6-7 to 12-13 years
III. Lower secondary school (gimnazjum) – 12-13 to 15-16 years
IV. Upper secondary school of general education (liceum ogólnokszta c ce) – 15-16 to 18-19 years
or
Vocational secondary school (technikum or liceum techniczne) –15-16 to 18-19 years
or
General vocational/trade school (zasadnicza szkoła zawodowa) – additional 2 years after gimnazjum [to be abolished soon]
V. University (uniwersytet, akademia, wyższa szkoła) – 18-19 to 23-24 years; some universities introduced two-degree study curricula: 3-year Bachelors degree program (studia licencjackie) followed by a 2-year Masters degree program (studia magisterskie)
VI. Postgraduate education: 4-year Ph.D. program (studia doktoranckie) or 1-2 year special graduate program (studia podyplomowe).
private and public education
In general, according to the Law on the System of Education, Polish educational institutions can act as public institutions, institutions founded by communities or foundations (społeczne = „social“) or private establishments. At this time, there are no private schools providing education about/in Kashubian. The existing schools in Kashubia are predominantly public or community ones (the first community school was the Community School of G odnica, in the municipality of Linia).
bilingual education
In the 1990s, only one primary school provided bilingual education in Polish and Kashubian to around 20 children (the community school in G odnica, municipality of Linia). Due to financial and educational restraints, the school has been transformed into a school with additional (although compulsory) education about the Kashubian language (3 hours a week).
administration
The pre-primary level of education (nursery and kindergarten) is not obligatory. It is organized, supervised and financed by the municipalities (gmina). The compulsory primary and lower secondary education is organized and financed by the communes from funding provided through the central education authorities. The upper secondary education is organized and financed by the counties from funding provided through the central education authorities.
Higher educational institutions are autonomous but financed and supervised by the Ministry of National Education and Sports and Ministry of Science and Information Technology, except for specialized universities of medicine and agriculture, as well as academies of music and fine arts, and military academies which are supervised and financed by the Ministries of Health, Agriculture, Culture and Defence, respectively.
inspections
Lower and upper secondary schools are primarily supervised and controlled by the provincial Boards of Education (kuratoria oświaty).
2 Pre-school education
target group
This level of education is not compulsory in Poland. It is intended for children between 3-4 and 6 years of age. There are public kindergartens (run by communes), so-called social ones (run by associations), and private ones. Education for 6-year-olds became compulsory in September 2003 (cf. below). In 2000/2001, 51.2% of 3 to 6-year olds attended pre-school; in 2002/2003 this percentage dropped to 48%. The main reasons for the decrease are financial strains on the communes and parents; parents, for example, are personally responsible for transporting their pre-school children. In 2001/2002, 89.7% of 6-year-olds attended the „zero classes“.
structure
Since September 2003, the Ministry of National Education and Sports decreed that all 6-year-olds must be included in the system of compulsory education – the communes should establish so-called „zero classes“ (zerówka), either in public primary schools or in kindergartens. All of the „zero classes“ are expected to be taken over by kindergartens. Just before this decision came into force in 2002/2003, 841 thousand children countrywide had attended „zero classes“, either in kindergartens or in primary schools.
legislation
The pre-school education (kindergartens) is organized according to the December 1999 Appendix „Framework statute of public kindergartens“ to the Decree of the Minister of National Education on changes in the framework statutes of public 6-year primary schools and public lower secondary schools.
language use
Kashubian is used during pre-school education in only 2 private kindergartens, attended by around 30 children. An early immersion language program, based on the experiences of similar programs in Wales, Brittany and Lusatia is planned to start in 2005, probably under the name Pùfôtk (Kashubian for „Winnie the Pooh“). The first workshop devoted to this method is planned for late 2004.
teaching materials
There are no Kashubian-language teaching materials published. The kindergarten teachers produce some makeshift materials themselves for their own use.
statistics
| Year | Percentage |
| 2000/2001 | 51.2% |
| 2002/2003 | 48% |
| Year | Percentage |
| 2001/2002 | 89,7% |
| Year | Kindergartens | Children |
| 2002/2003 | 2 | around 30 |
3 Primary education
target group
In the Polish education system, primary education is followed directly by lower secondary school education, which is also compulsory. Primary education is intended for children ages 6 or 7 to 12-13 (exclusively from ages 7 to 13 in the future). Lower secondary school education includes children ages 12-13 to 15-16 (exclusively ages 13 to 16 in the future). Both levels are compulsory.
In the 2003/2004 school year, almost 2.8 million pupils attended primary schools and 1.7 million attended lower secondary schools. In other words, a total of more than 4.6 million pupils are subject to these two compulsory levels of education.
structure
Every March, the school board of teachers takes the decision to introduce classes in Kashubian starting September 1st (start of the new school year), supported by a resolution of the School Board. Seven written applications from parents are required in order to open a class (or class section) with instruction in Kashubian.
The State provides funding for teaching Kashubian if its weekly provision amounts to 3 hours of classes. The subsidy rate for schools providing education in/about minority languages is 120% the rate for other schools. If the number of pupils in such a school does not exceed 42, the rate increases to 150%. Funding for the first four months of language instruction, however, must be laid out by the municipality. In some cases, this amount may also be paid out by the Ministry of National Education and Sports at the start of the school year.
The teaching programs for primary and lower secondary schools providing Kashubian education were accepted by the Ministry of National Education and Sports in 2002.
legislation
Primary and lower secondary school education in Poland falls within the jurisdiction and supervision of the Ministry of National Education and Sports. It is compulsory for all children. The primary and lower secondary schools are organized and financed by the communes from funding provided through the Ministry. The most important laws relevant to primary, lower and upper secondary education (all three levels are generally dealt with together) are the September 1991 Law on the system of education, the January 1999 Law on regulations introducing the reform of the schooling system, with major amendments made in December in 2000, and with special respect to schools providing education in/about minority languages – the December 2002 Decree of the Minister of National Education and Sports on conditions and methods of enabling pupils belonging to national minorities and ethnic groups to maintain their national, ethnic and linguistic identity.
language use
The respective subjects are labelled „Kashubian language“, „Kashubian language with elements of regional culture“, or „Regional education with elements of Kashubian language“ and are taught 3, 2, or 1 hour(s) a week. The languages of instruction are both Kashubian and Polish.
teaching materials
The first ever teaching materials for/in Kashubian were published only recently, including a primer – (Bòbrowsczi & Kwiatkòwskô 2000), a primary school dictionary (Kwiatkòwsko & Bòbrowsczi 2003), and other aids, such as a language course book for younger students – (Pioch 2001) and a teaching program and materials for language teachers – (Pioch 2000, Czedrowskô, Pioch & Tréder 2001).
statistics
A total of 5113 schoolchildren at the primary and lower secondary levels were provided with some form of Kashubian education at 82 schools. The tables below show the numbers of children who were provided with some form of Kashubian education and for how many hours a week.
| Year | Primary schools | Lower secondary schools |
| 2003/2004 | 2,857 thousand | 1,694 thousand |
| Subject | Number of schools | House per week | Number of children |
| Kashubian language | 1 | 4 | total: 2,951 |
| 31 | 3 | ||
| 18 | 2 | ||
| 2 | 1 | ||
| total: 52 | |||
| Kashubian language and regional culture | 3 | 3 | total: 358 |
| 2 | 2 | ||
| 1 | 1 | ||
| total: 6 | |||
| Regional education with elements of Kashubian language | 4 | 3 | total: 1,358 |
| 5 | 2 | ||
| 4 | 1 | ||
| total: 13 |
| Subject | Number of schools | Hours per week | Number of children |
| Kashubian language | 5 | 3 | total: 179 |
| 1 | 2 | ||
| 1 | 1 | ||
| total: 7 | |||
| Kashubian language and regional culture | 3 | 2 | total: 159 |
| total: 3 | |||
| Regional education with elements of Kashubian language | 2 | 2 | total: 108 |
| 2 | 1 | ||
| Kashubian language | total: 4 |
4 Secondary education
target group
Scondary education (understood here as upper secondary schools of general education) is not obligatory in Poland and is intended for pupils ages 15 or 16 to 18-19 (exclusively from ages 16 to 19 in the future). In 2003/ 2004, nearly 923,000 pupils attended upper secondary schools (of general education).
structure
The regulations for introducing Kashubian classes are generally the same as in the case of primary/lower secondary schools, the only difference being the number of written applications from pupils or pupils’ parents, namely 14.
The State provides funding for the teaching of Kashubian if its weekly provision amounts to 3 hours of classes. The subsidy rate for schools providing education in/about minority languages is 120% the rate for other schools. If the number of pupils in such a school does not exceed 42, the rate increases to 150%. Funding for the first four months of language instruction must be provided by the commune. In some cases, this sum may also be paid out by the Ministry of National Education and Sports at the start of the school year.
The teaching programs for upper secondary schools providing Kashubian education were accepted by the Ministry of Education in Sports in 2002.
teaching materials
There is a language course book for the older classes, compiled by Cybulski & Wosiak-Śliwa in 2001. A teaching program and materials for language teachers were also developed by Czedrowskô, Pioch & Tréder in 2001.
legislation
As with the lower educational levels, upper secondary education in Poland falls under the jurisdiction and supervision of the Ministry of National Education and Sports. The upper secondary schools, however, are organized and financed by the counties (and not the municipalities) from funding provided by the Ministry. The most important laws relevant to upper secondary education are the same as with primary and lower secondary schools, since all three levels are generally dealt with together.
language use
In 2002/2003, only 3 upper secondary schools provided Kashubian education of some kind:
one school – Kashubian language classes (3 hours a week) – 66 students,
one school –Kashubian language and regional classes (2 hours a week) – 232 students,
one school –regional education classes with elements of Kashubian language (1 hour a week) – 14 students.
A total of 312 students at the upper secondary level were provided with some form of Kashubian education. The languages of instruction in the Kashubian language classes are Kashubian and Polish.
statistics
| Year | Pupils |
| 2003/2004 | 923 thousand |
| Subject | Number of schools | Hours / week | Number of pupils |
| Kashubian language | 1 | 3 | 66 |
| Kashubian language and regional culture | 1 | 2 | 232 |
| Regional education with elements of Kashubian language | 1 | 1 | 14 |
| total: 3 | 312 |
5 Vocational education
target group
Vocational education falls under the system of upper secondary education, as an alternative to upper secondary schools of general education. It is not obligatory in Poland and is intended for pupils ages 15 or 16 to 18-19 (exclusively from ages 16 to 19 in the future).
structure
The provisions for teaching Kashubian (as well as all other minority languages) are the same as in the upper secondary schools of general education (cf. above).
legislation
Vocational education in Poland falls into the category of upper secondary education and the regulations for the two types of schools are all the same.
language use
In 2002/2003, only one vocational school of secondary level provided regional education classes with elements of Kashubian language (2 hours a week) for 26 students.
The teaching programs for vocational schools providing a Kashubian education were accepted by the Ministry of Education in Sports in 2002. The language of instruction during classes of regional education is predominantly Polish, with some interludes in Kashubian (songs, poems, literature excerpts, etc.).
statistics
| Subject | Hours / week | Number of schools | Number of pupils |
| Regional education with elements of Kashubian language | 2 | 1 | 26 |
There is only one vocational school with „regional education with elements of Kashubian language“ classes. The pupils at such schools are generally interested solely in technical subjects; even classes on the history of the Polish language are often neglected in the school curriculum.
6 Higher education
structure
The institutions of higher education are autonomous, but financed and supervised by the Ministry of National Education and Sports and Ministry of Science and Information Technology, except for specialized universities of medicine and agriculture, as well as academies of music and fine arts, and military academies which are supervised and financed by the Ministries of Health, Agriculture, Culture and Defence, respectively.
All universities and so-called „high schools“ or „academies“ in the region of Kashubia are located in the Tri-City agglomeration (Gdansk, Sopot, Gdynia), except for the private Kashubian-Pomeranian High School in Wejherowo. The state universities are the University of Gdañsk, Academy of Music, University of Medicine, Academy of Fine Arts, University of Physical Education, Technical University of Gdańsk, Naval Academy, Maritime Academy. There are two Diocesan Seminaries (in Gdańsk and in Pelplin) as well as 13 private institutions of higher education.
language use
Since 1992, Kashubian has been taught as an elective language course at the University of Gdańsk for students of Polish language and literature.
At the Diocesan Seminary in Pelplin, Kashubian is taught 2 hours a week every year as a language course to some 15 seminarists.
The only language course book for university students was published by Cybulski & Wosiak-Śliwa in 1992.
teacher training
| Qualified teachers | 25 |
| Graduates of the first edition of the course for teachers | 41 |
| Students of the second edition of the course for teachers | 51 |
7 Adult education
The only forms of adult education in Kashubian are the above-mentioned qualification courses for teachers of Kashubian, as well as three editions of Regional and Alternative Education Courses, Postgraduate Courses on Pomeranian Studies as well as freelance courses on reading and writing in Kashubian. The language is taught predominantly through the medium of Polish.
In 2002/2003, courses on Kashubian language and culture were organized in 3 centres (Gdańsk, Kartuzy and Władysławowo) and attended by 46 participants.
The so-called „Kashubian Folk Universities“ in Wie yca and Starbienino do not organize language courses of any kind.
8 Educational research
For political reasons, educational and sociolinguistic research of minority language communities has little developed since World War II. Questions related to ethnicity and minorities have not been included in population censuses since the 1930s.
In spite of this, linguistic research on Kashubian has been carried out at the Universities of Gdańsk and Poznań, the Silesian University in Katowice, the Polish Academy of Sciences, and the Institute of Slavistics in Warsaw. The Kashubian Institute as an independent scholarly institution was founded in 1998. It publishes the annual Acta Cassubiana. Since 2003, Cassubia Slavica has been published in Hamburg as an international annual of Kashubian studies (cf. Bobrowski, Kwidziński & Toby 2003; http://www.cassubia-slavica.com). Kashubian studies are also carried out at three universities abroad: University of Oxford (Prof. Gerald Stone), University of Tartu / Estonia (Prof. Alexandr Duličenko) and the University of Groningen / Netherlands (drs. Hania Toby).
Research on Kashubian education is in fact limited to the Institute of Pedagogy at the University of Gdańsk (cf. Kossak-Główczewski 1999).
7 Prospects
Recent research (cf. e.g. Iskierski & Latoszek 1996) has provided some reliable data on the situation of Kashubian. The results of the 2002 population census could be disappointing in that respect, but considering its pioneering character, unclear criteria and a certain lack of confidence as far as all national and/or ethnic question are concerned, the number of 52,665 persons declaring Kashubian to be their home language is undoubtedly an important indicator for language planners and educational activists.
Taking into account that Kashubian was introduced (in a very modest way and dimension) as late as 1991, the total number of 5,451 pupils who are taught Kashubian (in any form) by 117 teachers is quite impressive. During the past 13 years, the most important obstacle to education about and in Kashubian has been abolished – namely the traditional school system. It was the school that imposed the conviction of the superiority of „urban Polish“ culture to „rural Kashubian“. Pupils and parents alike privately blamed the „backwardness“ of Kashubian with their children’s limited career options. A mental change has clearly taken place since then.
Further development of Kashubian education undoubtedly depends on the efforts of regional activists and the further training of qualified teachers. Crucial in that respect are also the ratification of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages by Poland, preceded by the internal Law on national and ethnic minorities and on regional language.
10 Summary statistics
| Year | Kindergartens | Children |
| 2002/2003 | 2 | around 30 |
| Subject | Number of schools | House per week | Number of children |
| Kashubian language | 1 | 4 | total: 2,951 |
| 31 | 3 | ||
| 18 | 2 | ||
| 2 | 1 | ||
| total: 52 | |||
| Kashubian language and regional culture | 3 | 3 | total: 358 |
| 2 | 2 | ||
| 1 | 1 | ||
| total: 6 | |||
| Regional education with elements of Kashubian language | 4 | 3 | total: 1,358 |
| 5 | 2 | ||
| 4 | 1 | ||
| total: 13 |
| Subject | Number of schools | Hours per week | Number of children |
| Kashubian language | 5 | 3 | total: 179 |
| 1 | 2 | ||
| 1 | 1 | ||
| total: 7 | |||
| Kashubian language and regional culture | 3 | 2 | total: 159 |
| total: 3 | |||
| Regional education with elements of Kashubian language | 2 | 2 | total: 108 |
| 2 | 1 | ||
| Kashubian language | total: 4 |
| Subject | Number of schools | Hours / week | Number of pupils |
| Kashubian language | 1 | 3 | 66 |
| Kashubian language and regional culture | 1 | 2 | 232 |
| Regional education with elements of Kashubian language | 1 | 1 | 14 |
| total: 3 | 312 |
| Qualified teachers | 25 |
| Graduates of the first edition of the course for teachers | 41 |
| Students of the second edition of the course for teachers | 51 |
Education system in Poland (Eurydice)
Addresses
Zrzeszenie Kaszubsko-Pomorskie
Zarząd Główny & Komisja Oświaty
[Kashubian-Pomeranian Association;
Headquarters & Commission of Education]
ul. Straganiarska 20-23
PL- 80-837 Gdańsk
Tel. +48 58 3012731
Fax +48 58 3462613
E-mail: zkp@kaszubi.pl
domkaszubski@wp.pl
http://www.kaszubi.pl
http://www.zk-p.pl/xoops
Uniwersytet Gdański
Instytut Filologii Polskiej
[University of Gdańsk;
Institute of Polish Philology]
ul. Wita Stwosza 55
PL- 80-952 Gdańsk
Tel. +48 58 5529185
E-mail: ifpug@univ.gda.pl
Uniwersytet Gdański [University of Gdańsk]
Podyplomowe Studium Kwalifikacyjne
Pedagogiczno-Metodyczne Języka Kaszubskiego
[Postgraduate qualification course for teachers of Kashubian]
ul. Wita Stwosza 55
PL- 80-952 Gdańsk
Tel. +48 58 5529661
Instytut Kaszubski [Kashubian Institute]
ul. Straganiarska 20-22
PL- 80-837 Gdańsk
Tel. +48 58 3462327, 3462231
Fax. +48 58 3462613
E-mail: instytutkaszubski@wp.pl
http://instytut-kaszubski.webpark.pl
Centrum Edukacji Nauczycieli
[Centre for Teachers’ Education]
ul. gen. J. Hallera 14
PL- 80-401 Gdańsk
Tel. +48 58 3419373, 3404100
Fax +48 58 3410763
E-mail: cen@cen.gda.pl
http://nowaedu.cen.gda.pl
http://nowaedu.cen.gda.pl/konsultanci/!regionalna/regionalna.htm
Ministerstwo Edukacji Narodowej i Sportu; Departament Kształcenia i Wychowania
[Ministry of National Education and Sports; Department of Education]
al. Szucha 25
PL- 00-918 Warszawa
http://www.men.waw.pl/oswiata
http://www.men.waw.pl/oswiata/biezace/ar-2001-2/ed_regio.htm
Online sources
– http://www.kaszubia.com (general information on Kashubian in Kashubian, Polish and German)
– http://www.zk-p.pl, http://www.kaszubi.pl (official websites of the Kashubian-Pomeranian Association; in Polish and Kashubian)
– http://odroda.zk-p.pl (online newspaper in Kashubian)
– http://www.rastko.net/rastko-ka (multilingual website on Kashubia, Kashubian, and Kashubs)
– http://www.czetnica.kaszubia.com (collection of Kashubian literature; in Kashubian)
– http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/Pomeranian_Griffin (Pomeranian history, culture, geography, genealogy and projects; in English, German, Low German, Kashubian, Polish)
– http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kaszebsko (multilingual discussion group on Kashubia; in Kashubian, Polish, German, English)
– http://www.ka-na.org (website of the Kashubian Association of North America; in English)
References and further reading
Acta Cassubiana 1999-2003. Vol. I-IV. Gdańsk: Instytut Kaszubski.
Bòbrowsczi, Witołd & Katarzëna Kwiatkòwskô 2000. Kaszëbsczé abecadło – twój pierszi elemeńtôrz [„Kashubian ABC – your first primer“]. Gdańsk: Dar Gdañska.
Bobrowski, Marcin M., Marek Kwidziński & Hanna Toby (eds.) Cassubia Slavica. Internationales Jahrbuch für Kaschubische Studien 1. 2003. Hamburg: Cassubia Slavica e.V.
Borzyszkowski Józef 2002. Die Kaschuben, Danzig und Pommern. Gdańsk-Wejherowo: Instytut Kaszubski, Muzeum Piśmiennictwa i Muzyki Kaszubsko- Pomorskiej.
Borzyszkowski Józef 2004. The Kashubs, Gdańsk and Pomerania [translated by T. Wicherkiewicz]. Gdańsk: Instytut Kaszubski [in print]
Borzyszkowski, Józef & Dietmar Albrecht (eds.) 2000. Pomorze – mała ojczyzna Kaszubów (Historia i współczesno ). Kaschubisch-Pommersche Heimat (Geschichte und Gegenwart). Gdańsk-Lübeck: Zrzeszenie Kaszubsko-Pomorskie, Instytut Kaszubski, Ostsee Akademie
Borzyszkowski, Józef, Jan Mordawski & Jerzy Treder 1999. Historia, geografia, język i piśmiennictwo Kaszubów. Historia, geògrafia, jãzëk i pismienizna Kaszëbów [„history, geography, language and literature of the Kashubs“]. Gdańsk/Gduńsk: M.Ro ak.
Boryś, Wiesław & Hanna Popowska-Taborska 1994-2004. Słownik etymologiczny Kaszubszczyzny [„Etymological dictionary of Kashubian“]. Vol. I-V. Warszawa: Instytut Slawistyki PAN.
Breza, Edward 1998. „Das Kaschubische“, Einführung in die slavischen Sprachen, ed. P. Rehder, Darmstadt, p. 171-177.
Breza, Edward (ed.) 2001. Kaszubszczyzna – Kaszëbizna [„Kashubian“]. Opole: Uniwersytet Opolski.
Breza, Edward & Jerzy Treder 1981. Gramatyka kaszubska. Zarys popularny [„Popular outline of Kashubian grammar“]. Gdańsk: Zrzeszenie Kaszubsko-Pomorskie.
Breza, Edward & Jerzy Treder 1984. Zasady pisowni kaszubskiej [„Rules of Kashubian spelling“]. Gdańsk: Zrzeszenie Kaszubsko-Pomorskie.
Cybulski, Marek & Róża Wosiak-Śliwa 1992. Kaszubski język literacki. Podręcznik dla lektoratów [„Literary Kashubian – handbook for language courses“]. Gdańsk: Graf.
Cybulski, Marek & Ró a Wosiak-Śliwa 2001. Ùczimë sã pò kaszëbskù. Ksiąka pomocnicza dla klas starszych [„We learn Kashubian – handbook for older classes“]. Gdañsk: Oficyna Czec.
Czedrowskô, Wanda, Danuta Pioch & Jerzy Tréder 2001. Ùczba kaszëbsczégò jãzëka w szkòle. Materia ë dlô szkólnëch [„Teaching Kashubian at school – materials for teachers“]. Gduñsk: Oficyna Czec.
Drzeżdżon, Jan 1986. Współczesna literatura kaszubska [„Contemporary Kashubian literature“]. Warszawa: Ludowa Spółdzielnia Wydawnicza.
Gołąbk, Eugeniusz 1992. Rozmówki kaszubskie [„Kashubian conversation guide“]. Gdynia: Arkun.
Gòłąbk, Eugeniusz 1997. Wskôzë kaszëbsczégò pisënkù [„Recommendations on Kashubian spelling“]. Gduńsk: Oficyna Czec.
Gołąbk, Eugeniusz & Eugeniusz Pryczkowski 1998. Më trzimómë z Bògã. Kòscelné mòdlëtwë i spiéwë [„We stick with God – church prayers and songs“]. Gduńsk: Zrzeszenie Kaszubsko-Pomorskie, ROST.
Iskierski, Janusz & Marek Latoszek 1995. „The Kashubian Ethnic Group in the Prologue to Change: Local and Regional Perspectives“, in: B. Synak (ed.) The Ethnic Identities of European Minorities. Gdañsk: Uniwersytet Gdański. Pp. 141-153.
Kaszëbskô Biblëjô. Nowi testament. IV Ewanjelje [„Kashubian Bible. New Testament. 4 Gospels“; translated by Franciszek Grucza] 1992. Poznań: Hlondianum.
Kwiatkòwskô, Katarzëna & Witołd Bòbrowsczi 2003. Twój pierszi słowôrz – słowôrz kaszëbskò-pòlsczi [„Your first vocabulary – Kashubian-Polish vocabulary“]. Gdańsk: Dar Gdańska.
Kossak-Główczewski, Kazimierz 1999. Edukacja regionalna mniejszości narodowych i etnicznych [„regional education of national and ethnic minorities“]. Gdańsk: Uniwersytet Gdański.
Labuda, Aleksander 1960. Słowniczek kaszubski [„Small dictionary of Kashubian“]. Warszawa: PZWS.
Labuda, Aleksander 1981. Słownik polsko-kaszubski. Słowôrz kaszëbsko-polsczi [„Polish-Kashubian and Kashubian-Polish dictionary“]. Gdańsk: Zrzeszenie Kaszubsko-Pomorskie.
Lorentz, F. 1925. Geschichte der pomoranischen (kaschubischen) Sprache, Berlin-Leipzig: Walter de Gruyter & Co.
Lorentz, F. 1926. Geschichte der Kaschuben, Berlin: R. Hobbing.
Lorentz, F. et al. 1935. The Cassubian civilization, London: Faber & Faber.
Lorentz, F. 1958-83. Pomoranisches Wörterbuch, I-V (II-V continued by F. Hinze), Berlin: Akademie Verlag.
Majewicz, Alfred F. 1996. „Kashubian choices, Kashubian prospects: a minority language situation in northern Poland“, in: J. Fishman, S. Gustavsson & Z. Starý (eds.) International Journal of the Sociology of Language. Vol. 120. Minority languages in Central Europe. Berlin-New York: Mouton de Gruyter. p. 39-53.
Majewicz, Alfred F. & Tomasz Wicherkiewicz 1990. „National Minority Languages in Media and Education in Poland“, in: D. Gorter et al. (eds.) Fourth International Conference on Minority Languages. Vol. II. Western and Eastern European Papers. Clevedon- Philadelphia: Multilingual Matters. p. 149-174.
Mistarz, Renata 2003. „Zasady nauczania i finansowania nauczania języka kaszubskiego“ [„Principles of education and financing of education in Kashubian“]. http://www. zk-p.pl/misc/rm_orgnaucz.htm
Neureiter, Ferdinand 1973. Kaschubische Anthologie. München: Verlag Otto Sagner
Neureiter, Ferdinand 1991. Geschichte der kaschubischen Literatur. Versuch einer zusammenfassenden Darstellung. München: Verlag Otto Sagner.
Perkowski, J.L. 1969. A Kashubian idiolect in the United States, Bloomington-The Hague.
Pioch, Danuta 2000. Program do nauczania języka kaszubskiego z elementami wiedzy o Kaszubach [„Program of teaching Kashubian with elements of regional education“]. Gdañsk: Oficyna Czec.
Pioch, Danuta 2001. Kaszëbë – zemia i lëdze. Podręcznik [„Kashubia – handbook of land and people“]. Gdańsk: Zrzeszenie Kaszubsko-Pomorskie, Oficyna Czec.
Popowska-Taborska, Hanna. 1997. „The present-day linguistic situation in Kashubia“, in: Synak & Wicherkiewicz 1997, p. 317-321.
Ramułt, Stefan 2003. Słownik języka pomorskiego czyli kaszubskiego. [„Dictionary of Pomeranian, i.e. Kashubian“; ed. J. Treder]. Gdańsk: Uniwersytet Gdański, Oficyna Czec, Muzuem Piśmiennictwa i Muzyki Kaszubsko- Pomorskiej.
Stieber, Zdzisław et al. 1964-1978. Atlas językowy kaszubszczyzny i dialektów sąsiednich [„Linguistic atlas of Kashubian and neighbouring dialects“]. Vol. I-XV. Wrocław-Warszawa-Kraków: Ossolineum.
Stone, Gerald 1972. „The language of Cassubian literature and the question of the literary standard“, The Slavonic and the East-European Review, p. 521-529.
Stone, Gerald 1993. „Cassubian“, in: B. Comrie & G.G. Corbets (eds.) The Slavonic Languages. London & New York: Routledge, p. 759-794.
Swięté Pismiona Nowégo Testameńtu [„Holy Scripts of the New Testament“; translated by Eugeniusz Gołąbk] 1993. Gduńsk-Pelplin: Zrzeszenie Kaszubsko-Pomorskie, Wydawnictwo Diecezjalne.
Sychta Bernard 1967-1976. Słownik gwar kaszubskich na tle kultury ludowej [„Dictionary of Kashubian dialects and folk culture“]. Vol. I-VII. Warszawa – Wrocław – Kraków: PAN.
Synak, Brunon 1995. „The Kashubs’ Ethnic Identity: Continuity and Change“, in: B. Synak (ed.) The Ethnic Identities of European Minorities. Gdańsk: Uniwersytet Gdañski, p. 155-166.
Synak, Brunon & Tomasz Wicherkiewicz (eds.) 1997. Language Minorities and Minority Languages in the Changing Europe. Gdañsk: Uniwersytet Gdański.
Topolińska, Z. 1974. A historical phonology of the Kashubian dialects of Polish, The Hague – Paris: Walter de Gruyter & Co.
Topolińska, Z. 1980. „Kashubian“, The Slavic literary languages: formation and development, eds. A.M. Schenker and E. Stankiewicz, New Haven: Yale Russian and East European publications, No. 1, p. 183-194.
Treder, Jerzy 1997. „Polish-Kashubian“. In: H. Goebl et al. (eds.) Kontaktlinguistik. Contact Linguistics. Linguistique de contact. Vol.2. Berlin-New York: Walter de Gruyter, p. 1600-1606.
Treder, Jerzy & Edward Breza 2000, „Sytuacja socjolingwistyczna kaszubszczyzny“ [„Sociolinguistic situation of Kashubian“], in: R.Mrózek (ed.) Kultura-Język-Edukacja. Vol. 3. Katowice: Uniwersytet Śląski.
Treder Jerzy 2002. Język kaszubski. Poradnik encyklopedyczny [„Kashubian language – an encyclopedical outline“]. Gdańsk: Uniwersytet Gdański, Oficyna Czec.
Trepczyk, Jan 1994. Słownik polsko-kaszubski [„Polish- Kashubian dictionary“]. Vol. I-II. Gdańsk: Zrzeszenie Kaszubsko-Pomorskie.
Wicherkiewicz, Tomasz 2000. „Kashubian“, in: J. Wirrer (ed.) Minderheiten- und Regionalsprachen in Europa. Wiesbaden: Westdeutscher Verlag, p. 213-221.
Wicherkiewicz, Tomasz 2001. „Kashubian in Poland“, in: P. Winther (ed.) Lesser-Used Languages in States Applying for EU Membership. Luxembourg: European Parliament. Education and Culture Series EDUC 106 EN Rev.1, p.92-94.
Zieniukowa, Jadwiga 1997. „On the Languages of Small Ethnic Groups – the Case of Sorbian and Kashubian“, in: Synak & Wicherkiewicz (ed.). Language Minorities and Minority Languages in the Changing Europe. Gdañsk: Uniwersytet Gdański.
Zieniukowa, J. 2004. Kashubian- forming the literary standard, to be released in: Bobrowski, M. M., M. Kwidziński & H. Toby (eds.) Cassubia Slavica. Internationales Jahrbuch für Kaschubische Studien 2. 2004. Hamburg: Cassubia Slavica e.V.
Endnotes
1 The corresponding historical German names of the county towns are provided for German- speaking readers: Danzig, Gdingen, Neustadt, Putzig, Lauenburg, Bütow, Karthaus, Berent and Konitz.
2 German names: Stolp, Lauenburg and Bütow
3 Official census of the German state
4 Official census of the German state
5 According to Meillet, Antoine 1928. Les langues dans l’Europe nouvelle. Paris.
6 According to Kloss, Heinz & G.D. McConell 1984. Linguistic Composition of the Nations of the World. Vol.5. Europe and the USSR. Québec.
7 The definition of „nationality“ was provided: Nationality is everybody’s declarative (i.e. based on an subjective feeling) individual feature which expresses one’s emotional, cultural or genealogical affiliation with a specific nation.
8 The Census included a total of 38,230,080 inhabitants of the country, 37,529,751 of whom were Polish citizens, 492,176 of whom reported a non-Polish language as one of the languages used most often at home and 46,559 of whom reported a non-Polish language as the only language used at home.
9 The Kashubs have successfully applied for recognition as an „ethnic minority“.
10 The adjective „Kashubian“ indicates here the regional, not ethnic, affiliation.
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