ALEKSANDRA PODHORECKA - A GREAT ACTIVIST IN PRESERVING NATIONAL IDENTITY OF YOUNG POLES’ GENERATION ABROAD

Bringing up the generation of young Poles, who were born and educated in free democratic world in the spirit of patriotism, who were aware of their roots, who spoke Polish and knew the Polish culture, was a very difficult task to undertake by the Polish community in exile after the Second World War. This task was tackled by many Polish people residing in Great Britain with Aleksandra Podhorecka among them. As the title implies the article describes the issue of upbringing of young Poles abroad which is still relevant. The aim of the article is to introduce Aleksandra Podhorecka as an educator, a teacher, and a journalist, who has been involved and still plays an important role in the educating Polish children and young people in the UK. The article outlines the main facts of Aleksandra Podhorecka’s life and activities. She was a teacher, an education activist and a long-standing headmistress of Polish School Motherland, an organization which ran schools of mother tongue for Polish emigrants’ children. In addition, she was a journalist for a number of magazines for children such as “Dziatwa” (“Children”) and “Razem Młodzi Przyjaciele” (“Together Young Friends”). She also published curriculums, textbooks, journals, information bulletins, methodological tutorials for teachers and parents. She tried to make young people closer to each other so that they could be proud of being Poles. The main task of PSM was to bring up young Poles on the principles of Christianity and it has been unchangeable for many years. PSM works in different branches which include Polish Saturday School, meetings and competitions, a bookshop in POSK in London. Thanks to Aleksandra Podhorecka the popularity of PSM increased. Every year about twenty thousand of Polish children are born in the UK. Due to Aleksandra Podhorecka’s activities they have an opportunity to learn the Polish language and take an active part in the life of their native country