Polish children returned to their school, repair was paid for by OKD

STONAVA – At first sign, no change can probably be seen. The building of the Polish elementary school in Stonava stands as it did in the past, and since last week, the children have been also learning their subjects there. During the holiday months, the school building underwent a consistent reconstruction, during which special reinforced concrete structures, designed to protect the building against soil movements, were installed underneath the floor of the annex building, constructed in the 1950s.  The reconstruction costs have been specified to amount to more than 8 million Czech crowns and have been covered by OKD, more specifically by the ČSM Mine, which is located in Stonava.

“We are aware of the problems caused by mining to Stonava, and we take responsibility therefor,“ Josef Kasper, ČSM Mine Director said in the Stonava Polish school on the occasion of the opening ceremony of the new school year on Thursday, 25 September. “Good work has been completed, which always gives pleasure. I am glad to have an excellent cooperation with the community. It is a basis of good relations, which are beneficial to both the mine and local residents,“ he added.

In the elementary school in Stonava, where the teaching language is Polish, there are currently eleven children learning their subjects in five classes. This building also houses a nursery school and elementary school of art. On the groundfloor, there is a large school kitchen, preparing meals for both the pupils and local citizens. During the reconstruction, its function was also performed by the mine, as Director Kasper has informed.

“It means that we have covered not only the reconstruction costs, but we have also participated in other costs associated therewith,“ specified Josef Kasper. For example, the mine helped with the meal delivery to the Stonava schools and nursery schools from the school kitchens based at Suchá and Albrechtice.

During the repairs, the Stonava Polish children had their learning in the local Czech school. “We could not complain about the conditions, we have excellent relations with our Czech colleagues. But home is best,“ Dana Heczková,  the headmistress of the little Polish school, expressed her opinion. She and her pupils certainly looked forward to a brand-new interactive school board with which it is possible to work like with a computer. The Stonava pupils are grateful for this miracle of modern engineering mostly also to the miners: Pol-Alpex and Polcarbo, the contractor companies have contributed with 50 thousand Czech crowns to that.

“I think the Stonava community is an example of how it is possible to live in a symbiosis with coal and that the community can also develop along with the mining development,“ stated Ondřej Feber, Stonava Mayor.

(Bohuslav Krzyžanek)