Economic conditions as the source of Korczak's pedagogy? - This is the most important and most interesting area of ​​our inner life (in the Orphanage Dom Sierot).

The question mark at the end of the title, "Economic conditions as the source of Korczak's pedagogy?", reflects my deliberations on the matter. Undoubtedly, the severe economic situation in Poland at the time must have had bearings not only on the management of the orphanage, Dom Sierot, but also on the design and construction of both Dom Sierot and, later, Nasz Dom in the Bielany district of Warsaw.

Of course, it was all a balancing act. Large sleeping halls were far from optimal for the children, but Korczak understood it well and compensated by inventing many solutions that protected the privacy of his young charges and gave them some individual attention. Such best example is provided by the creation of "personal drawers" in the recreation hall where each child could keep his or her individual treasures. The clothing of the orphans is another example: varied outfits rather than uniforms served to help the children to mix rather than stand out on the street or in school.

Significantly, hiring of personnel and teachers was particularly economical; a minimum of salaried workers and compensation for others in the form of "room and board" ('Bursa") rather than money.

Finally, Korczak seemed to care about ensuring the economy and stability of the food supply. The Summer camp, "Rożyczka" ("Little Rose"), not only provided a welcome country experience for the city kids but also supplied the orphanage with healthy homegrown food. Vegetables from "Rożyczka" were transported and stored in the attic of Dom Sierot on 92 Krochmalna Street.

14 104 members of the society Pomoc dla Sierot (year 1914) were supporting the orphanage through membership fees and additional financial support.  

Significantly, the hiring of personnel and teachers was particularly economical; a minimum of salaried workers and compensation for others in the form of "room and board" ('Bursa") rather than money. Here in the book Jak kochac dzieci, Korczak writes about the very first year at 92 Krochmalna. Running the entire orphanage with 100 children, just with 4 paid persons.

The costs of electricity and coal in Dom Sierot during winter and summer, as published in the children's newspaper W Sloncu in 1912.

Korczak wrote in Pamiętnik Society "Pomoc dla Sierot" in 1914: 

    A caretaker, a cook, and a laundress are the entire staff of a two-story building with two schools. Transforming a hundred children into a hundred workers, each of whom, depending on age, strength, quality, and degree of talent and willingness, is obliged to cooperate in a common nest, an extremely difficult task, was successfully solved, thanks to the head teacher of the Orphanage, Miss Stefanja Wilczyńska. This is the most important and most interesting area of ​​our inner life.             

    The building was divided into four floors. Each floor has its own responsible floor supervisor with a whole staff of assistants. The difficulty of organizing the division of activities is measured by the fact that the ground floor supervisor manages, controls, and reports in daily reports on the work of thirty children. 

    At the end of each month, children submit applications to remain on their old shift or to be given a new shift. A new list for the following month is drawn up from these applications.

    The kitchen, laundry, and floor shifts are paid. The draft budget for 1915 provides 225 rubles for children's salaries.

In the Dom Sierot Weekly, Korczak emphasizes the importance of children not only having money but also possessing the knowledge of how to spend it wisely and the possibility of saving their earned money (W Słońcu: dodatek do tygodnika "Z Blizka i z Daleka". 1914 nr 13 (28 III).

Korczak 1914: Children should have money, which is why we give them salaries, but they should be able to spend money sensibly and save...

Tłumaczenia tekstu o Tablica Oszczędności w Domu Sierot na język angielski

SAVING BOARD.

When Goldstein was still with us and working for the tailor, he had a large income. And what did he do with it? He went to the illusion show and bought chocolate. — because he didn't need the money. And when he went to the master full-time, he wore one shirt for five weeks, because it wasn't specified at the master's that he would have laundering, and Goldstein couldn't give his laundry to the laundry service and pay forty cents. It didn't occur to him. He knew that you hand in dirty laundry on Saturday and receive clean laundry — he didn't know any other way.

Children should have money, which is why we give them salaries, but they should be able to spend money sensibly and save...

Dora gave the money to her father for her little sister's shoes. Dora acted rightly: why should she hoard money that she will need in three or five years, if her little sister needs it right now?

Maybe Sejwacz is not acting so wisely if he spends all the money on sweets for his little brother and sister, who are in the orphanage on Pokorna Street. Because it is worth saving some money for books for them and for notebooks. Sweets for a few cents will suffice for the little ones, especially since if they eat too much, they will upset their stomachs.

The Saving board hangs there, where the weight is written on a piece of paper. For as the scale shows how many pounds of body have been gained, so the saving board shows how much reason and seriousness the children have gained.

TABLICA OSZCZĘDNOŚCI.

Kiedy Goldstein był jeszcze u nas i pracował u krawca — miał duże dochody. I cóż robił z niemi? Chodził do iluzjonu, kupował czekoladę. — bo pieniądze mu były niepotrzebne. A kiedy poszedł do majstra na stałe — chodził pięć tygodni w jednej koszuli, bo nie wymówiono u majstra, że będzie z praniem, a do pralni Goldstein nie umiał oddać bielizny i zapłacić czterdziestu groszy. Nie przyszło mu to do głowy. Wiedział, że w sobotę oddaje się brudną bieliznę i dostaje czystą — nie znał innego sposobu.

Dzieci powinny mieć pieniądze, dlatego dajemy im pensje: ale powinny umieć rozsądnie wydawać pieniądze i oszczędzać...

Dora oddała pieniądze ojcu na buciki dla małej siostry. Dora postąpiła słusznie: po co ma chować pieniądze, które jej będą potrzebne za trzy albo za pięć lat, jeżeli małej siostrze już te-raz są potrzebne.

Może nie tak mądrze robi Sejwacz, jeżeli wydaje wszystkie pieniądze na cukierki dla małego brata i siostry, któ-rzy są w przytułku na Pokornej. Bo trochę pieniędzy warto zostawić na książki dla nich i na kajety. Wystarczą malcom łakocie za kilka groszy, tym-bardziej, że jeśli zjedzą za dużo, to sobie popsują żołądki.

Tablica oszczędności wisi tam, gdzie na kartce napisana jest waga. Bo jak waga pokazuje, ile funtów ciała przybyło, tak tablica oszczędności pokazuje, ile rozumu i powagi przybyło dzieciom.