Sbírka Československé školy ve Velké Británii

By a decision of President E. Beneš, the question of education within the exile administrations was entrusted to the Ministry of the Interior in London. The commencement of classes in Czechoslovak schools in Great Britain was preceded by the preparation of an inventory of children required to attend school. The curriculum of the national schools was published, their internal structure and the course of the teacher qualification procedure were determined. The first Czechoslovak state school in Great Britain began teaching as early as October 1940 for children of emigrants, employees of Czechoslovak companies abroad and for children rescued from Czechoslovakia by Nicholas Winton. In the summer of 1942 the general school was separated and began to operate as the independent Czechoslovak National State School of Hana Benešová. From 1 January 1943, a children's shelter was established at this school. In order to balance the different levels of education, the government-in-exile set up refresher schools, sometimes called supplementary schools (e.g. schools in Newcastle upon Tyne and Oxford). The Czechoslovak schools ceased teaching at the end of the spring term 1945. Pupils in England could complete their education in English schools or return to their homeland. The collection of the Czechoslovak School in Great Britain complements the holdings of the official provenance and contributes to a closer understanding of the teaching and wartime childhood of emigrants. The collection contains originals and copies of various documents from school teaching and extra-curricular activities. Here we find personal documents, report cards, teachers' reports to parents, diary entries, memories, photographs, pupils' reports, textbooks, etc. At the same time, the collection is an expression of respect and thanks to Sir Nicholas Winton (see inv. 44 Winton's correspondence from 1939 (copy); inv. 45 lists of rescued children (51 pp., copy), etc.).