Gdańsk/ 10 years of Kashubian ethnology at the University of Gdańsk

Kashubian Ethnology celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. During this time, 24 graduates have left the university. Most of them work for the benefit of Kashubia and the region - said Dr. Justyna Pomierska, chairwoman of the Program Council of the field, in an interview with PAP.

Studies in Kashubian Ethnology prepare students to work as teachers of Kashubian and Polish (combined) or to work in Pomeranian institutions related to broadly understood culture - as a journalist, social life animator, educator in a community center or museum, as well as an editor or proofreader.

The main core of education is practical learning of the Kashubian language (also from scratch) combined with cultural education.

The PAP interviewee emphasized that the lack of teachers of this language was the main reason for launching the course 10 years ago at the University of Gdańsk. "A few years ago, around 14,000 students studied Kashubian in Pomerania, and there were maybe a hundred teachers. Of these, significantly fewer had completed appropriate postgraduate studies. Later, a regulation was introduced indicating that teaching qualifications could only be obtained as a result of completing higher education (so-called teacher training colleges were liquidated), so language minority communities, including Kashubians, expressed a demand to launch higher education in native philologies. But there was also a shortage of educated journalists, administration staff, etc.," said Dr. Pomierska, who is the chairwoman of the Program Council of the Kashubian Ethnology course and the director of the postgraduate studies Teaching the Kashubian language.

As part of the Kashubian ethnology classes, students have meetings with writers and activists of the Kashubian-Pomeranian movement, learn about folklore, cultural resources of the region, and projects in cultural institutions.

The University of Gdańsk states that philological subjects, such as: language learning, reading and analysis of literary works, combined with practical writing of texts, have been supplemented with the history of Kashubia, Pomerania and Poland, as well as basic knowledge in the field of social sciences: knowledge of culture, sociology, psychology and pedagogy for teachers.

"We teach Kashubian +from scratch+, and our practical Kashubian classes are led by the best," assures Dr. Pomierska, pointing to, among others, Prof. Marek Cybulski, who is the co-author (together with R. Wosiak-Śliwa) of the first textbook for the Kashubian language course. "Our graduate Dr. Joanna Ginter is also in the team of lecturers. Last year she published two books: one for learning grammar, 'Fòrmë lub normë', which contains accessible explanations and cool grammar exercises, and the other is a scientific book about orthography," she said.

The university ensures that already during the studies the student can cooperate with the future employer, among others: the Kashubian-Pomeranian Association, the Kashubian People's University in Wieżyca, the Museum of Kashubian-Pomeranian Literature and Music in Wejherowo or Radio Gdańsk.

After completing first-cycle studies, graduates may continue their education in second-cycle studies, including philology or cultural studies, pedagogy, sociology, political science, history, ethnology or philosophy.

Dr. Pomierska said that over the 10 years of the course, 24 graduates have graduated. "For the Kashubian community, these are 24 Kashubians with a higher education diploma. They work for the benefit of Kashubia and Pomerania. We helped them develop their language and social skills, and now they are supporting the region in schools, in the media, and in cultural institutions," she said.

According to her calculations, the graduates include 15 teachers of Kashubian, Polish, history, and preschool and early school education. There are also journalists, museum workers, and employees of cultural institutions.

The university states that a graduate of Kashubian ethnophilology with a specialization in teaching after three years of first-cycle studies is authorized to teach Kashubian in primary and secondary schools. If he/she completes his/her education with second-cycle studies in Polish philology, he/she will be able to teach both subjects: Kashubian and Polish.

Dr. Pomierska emphasized that after several changes to the educational concept, an "interesting and flexible study plan" was developed. "We educate teachers and specialists in the areas of professional activity selected by the student, people with high language competences in the Kashubian language. Connection with internships in cultural institutions gives the young person a fairly good idea of ​​what they would like to do in life, and a potential employer can also get to know the needs and talents of the intern," she stated.

In her opinion, the presence of students in schools and other places has a positive impact on young Kashubians. "Young people want to speak Kashubian, they look for language activities outside of school, if they have no one to speak with at home, they look for them in other places," she said.

She added that this year, over 30 people took the Kashubian language matriculation exam. "This exam requires them to write an essay in Kashubian on a given problem, referring to Kashubian literature, which means that they can read, write and have a basic understanding of cultural issues," she said.

She noted that only some of the graduates taking the Kashubian language exam will choose philological studies. "For many young Kashubians, taking the Kashubian language exam is symbolic, in many cases it is a certificate of identity, the culmination of many years of study or an expression of gratitude to the teachers of the "small homeland"," she said.

According to the PAP interviewee, people who take the Kashubian language exam, after finishing high school, start a business or begin studies in other areas. "The Kashubian language exam has been taken since 2005 and over 400 people have passed it to date. They include nurses, local government administration employees, cultural workers, economists and engineers. They too - not only graduates of Kashubian ethnology - know the Kashubian language. Maybe not the literature so well, but enough to pass the language on to the next generation," she added.

Piotr Mirowicz (PAP)

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