Our school


The history of the Bolesław Prus Secondary School, situated in the town centre near the old park, dates back to 1899 when the permit for founding the school was issued. Having been existing for over a century, this educational institution can be proud of its rich history, honourable traditions, impressive achievements and outstanding graduates.

In the school year 2011/2012 the school consists of 20 classes. Each class has acquired its name from the subjects which are taught in this class at the extended level. Every year the choice of the subjects is made on the basis of students’ preferences and their educational plans for the future. Therefore, some classes are oriented at the arts or the sciences while others focus on natural history or foreign languages. Such a practice enables the students to prepare for the next stage in their lives which is tertiary education.


Not only does the school provide its students with indispensable teaching materials and equipment, but it also employs highly-qualified staff. To encourage the students to expand their knowledge and increase their participation in the school life, teachers run various interest groups. There also exist different school organizations such as PCK (Polish Red Cross), Students’ Self-Government, the Historical Club named after General Stefan Grot Rowecki and the School Shooting League. The school can boast about the achievements of its students who become winners and finalists of many different subject contests and sports competitions.

The school takes part in numerous events which are to enrich the cultural life of both the school and the town. Each year the school celebrates different festivals and participates in a great deal of contests and sports events, some of which have become a well-established part of the school event calendar.

Significant dates in the history of  the Prus Secondary School:
1899  the permit for the opening of the school is issued which allows for the establishment of the three-year Private Town School
1906 the School Committee of the town Skierniewice is set up which results in the foundation of a seven-year school
1919-1937   the school functions as an 8-year gymnasium
12th Sept. 1920 it is converted into Prus State Gymnasium
World War II allows only for underground teaching which follows the secondary school
curriculum
1943/1944   the school is run as two State Gymnasiums for Boys and Girls separately
1950/1951  the beginning of Prus Co-Educational Grammar School
1st Sept. 2002 the school becomes a three-year post-gymnasium secondary school


The Patron of our School

Aleksander Głowacki, who wrote under the pseudonym Bolesław Prus (the author’s family coat of arms was Prus I) was born on 20th August, 1847 in Hrubieszów. Only serious works were signed with the name Głowacki. Later on, when he decided that his literary works were as useful as his scientific research, the writer did not want to confuse his audience and continued writing as Prus.

The early journalistic stage of Prus’s work, diversified by many trips and errands into the depths of Poland, initiated a series of so called Listy z Podróży [Journey Letters] under several titles, to name a few: Kartki z Lubelskiego (1875), Kartki z Podróży do Siedlec i Lublina (1875), Kartki z Podróży {depicting the journeys to Cracow}(1877), Kartki z Podróży do Wieliczki (1878), Wystawa Rolnicza i Przemysłowa we Lwowie 1877 (1878), Kartki z Podróży w Płockie (1877), Kartki z Podróży (1878). During the last years of his journalistic career, Prus published for Tygodnik Ilustrowany  [The Illustrated Weekly].

The second section of Prus’s work, not so highly esteemed by his contemporaries but more by future generations, is the short narrative form. It consists of 110 works. There are humorous sketches written in Prus’s youth: Na Wakacjach [On Holidays](1884), short stories: Anielka (1880), Katarynka [The Barrel-Organ], Michałko (1880), Antek (1881), Nawrócony (1881), Kamizelka [The Waistcoat](1882), Z legend Dawnego Egiptu [A Legend of Old Egypt or A legend of the Ancient Egypt] (1888) and Sen [The Dream] (1890). There are also longer stories and novel sketches such as Sieroca Dola (1877), Przygoda Stasia (1879), Powracająca Fala (1880), On (1882), Grzechy Dzieciństwa (1883), Milknące Głosy (1883) and Omyłka (1884).  Cienie (1885), Pan Dudkowski i Jego Folwark (1884), Pan Wesołowski   i Jego Kij (1887), Echa Muzyczne (1884), Pieśń Świata (1884) are also worth mentioning since they characterize the reality of Polish society as seen by the eyes of a careful observer.

He is also considered the founder of the modern Polish novel. Prus’s first novel, whose title was Kłopoty Babuni [Grandma’s Troubles], appeared in 1874. The book, never appreciated by the public neither by critics, did not turn out to be a great success: he never re-published it.

Prus's realistic novels include Placówka [The Outpost] (1886), about the struggle of a Polish peasant to hold his lands, Emancypantki  [The Emancipated Women] (1893), and Faraon  [The Pharaoh] (1896). Lalka [The Doll] (1889), Prus's finest work, presents a broad picture  of middle-class life in Warsaw. The novel came as a shock to both the public and critics. It surprised with its disorganized composition, diverse compilation of feelings and attitudes,   a wide variety of plots and episodes as well as lack of a proper, known, ending. Although full of humorous pictures, Lalka is one of the most pessimistic of Polish novels. It is, unquestionably, both for Bolesław Prus himself and readers in general the best work of Polish Positivism ever to be written.

Bolesław Prus died on 19th May, 1912 in Warsaw leaving an unfinished novel whose title was Przemiany [Changes] (1911-1912). He was buried in the Powązki Cemetery. The society raised a monument in his honour with a sign saying: “serce serc” [The Heart of Hearts].