The meeting took place on Thursday, December 3, at the Construction School Complex. The school auditorium was packed. The crowd repeatedly chanted: “We want to stay here.” There were emotional speeches and harsh statements (one parent even spoke of a “dictatorship”).
Paulina Pawłowicz, president of the Student Council:
None of the schools is ready to suddenly accept nearly 400 students. Everyone—including the county governor—hides behind the argument that this is about students with disabilities. We are children too, and we would like you to notice that as well. We have been forced to take an exam in adulthood because we must fight for our school.
There are so many places where a special school could be opened. There is a building on Zwycięstwa Street that is better adapted for children with disabilities.
Those gathered in the auditorium reproached the county governor for expensive investments, including the recently opened athletics stadium. A letter sent by the students of the “construction school” to President of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Duda was also read out. A multimedia presentation was shown, stating that the school was in very good condition.
Chairman of the Parents’ Council:
Why do you want to dissolve this school, since it has operated for so many years? You built a beautiful sports field and invested in its facilities. What is this all about?
County Governor Dariusz Kwaśniewski stressed that the decision on reorganizing the schools in January would be made not by the County Office or the county governor, but by the Bolesławiec County Council. He emphasized that no decision had been made to close any school. “For now, this decision has not been made,” he added. “But it will be.”
D. Kwaśniewski also presented the arguments for why the reorganization in question is necessary (details can be found in our article The County Governor’s Factual Response to Rumors About the Schools).
“I am among you today and, although I have not deserved it, the overwhelming majority of you hate me,” the county governor said. “If we are now, my dear friends, making a necessary and terribly difficult decision, it is so that none of you will lose even a millimeter of the chance to manage in adult life. Nothing bad will happen to you. And not only to the students of your school, but also to the students of the institution that will be affected. Could it be the ‘construction school’? It is one of the schools we are considering.”
He added: “Regardless of which school we merge with another school or schools, no class will be eliminated. The school that moves to another location will not have worse conditions.”
The county governor also explained why the County would not build a new facility for the special school (this was also discussed in the article The County Governor’s Factual Response to Rumors About the Schools). “We have to move it, and we will move it,” he added.
During the discussion, it was also stated that the County already had the II General Secondary School building, which had been adapted to the needs of people with disabilities. Questions were also raised about what would happen to the graduating class, which would suddenly be moved to another school; what would happen to students from outside Bolesławiec County who might have problems commuting if a shift system were introduced; how long the relocation of workshops would take (and whether there would be enough classrooms). One student also asked whether the county governor could assure ZSB students that, after moving to another institution, they would not be humiliated by the students there.
Opposition councillors of the Bolesławiec County Council also spoke, including Maciej Małkowski of Ziemia Bolesławiecka and Jan Russ of Law and Justice. M. Małkowski said: “At the January session, will councillors receive various reorganization options, or will there be one supposedly correct option prepared and pushed through by the ruling coalition? If this reorganization harms these young people, no one will be able to rebuild their trust in the authorities.”
J. Russ asked why he, as a councillor, had learned about the entire matter from the media.
D. Kwaśniewski: “The County Executive Board will develop the decision. It has its officials and headteachers for that. I will present the Board’s proposal to the Education, Culture and Sport Committee [jej przewodniczącym jest właśnie Jan Russ – przyp. „ii”]. Then a draft resolution will be prepared and will pass through all the committees. After that, there will be a vote at a Council session. If a majority of councillors vote in favor, the resolution will become law. We face a very difficult task, but we must make this change.”
We will return to this matter.