2024-11-16 16:09 update: 2024-11-16, 16:11
Photo: PAP/Jarek Praszkiewicz
The University of Silesia in Katowice, southern Poland, launched an already highly popular course in regional language and culture, the education minister has announced.
The programme was created by the University of Silesia, with financial support from the Ministry of National Education and offers a post-graduate course in the local Silesian language and culture for teachers as well as educational materials accessible online.
At a press conference held on Saturday at the university, Barbara Nowacka said that within three days, all available places for students of the programme had filled up. According to Nowacka, this was a sign that this was a much-needed initiative.
Nowacka said that earlier in June this year, the ministry had assigned PLN 2 million (EUR 0.5 mln) for the support of Silesian language, identity and culture, irrespective of President Andrzej Duda's refusal to sign the legislation establishing Silesian as a regional language into law.
"We have kept our promise," she said. "The money we assigned at the education ministry was spent on post-graduate studies for teachers."
Nowacka explained that the course had been designed to help local teachers in the region of Silesia cultivate its traditions, in particular when it comes to teaching the regional language, with the aim to "support young people in understanding their little homeland".
"The population of our region are Polish citizens, and they have the right for their language and culture to be taught and studied by academics," said Ryszard Koziolek, the rector of the University of Silesia.
Wojciech Saluga, the governor of Slaskie province, announced he would ask candidates in Poland's presidential election in May 2025 about their willingness to sign relevant legislation.
The president vetoed the amendment to the Act on National and Ethnic Minorities that would give Silesian the status of regional language stating that it did not meet the necessary criteria.
In the national census of 2021, 596,224 people declared Silesian nationality, including for 236,588 as the first and for 187,372 as the only one. At the same time, 467,145 people said they use Silesian as their main language at home and for 54,957 it was the only language used at home. (PAP)
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