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.
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 School1st 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].
