[3] The schooling problem had to be resolved somehow, especially since large numbers of Jewish adolescents, displaced from the countryside, began to arrive in Warsaw. December 1939 marked the beginning of a new period. Teachers, pressed by poverty, started to organise the youth, mostly without the involvement of former school headmasters. Establishing contacts with their former pupils was relatively easy. The only possible form of organisation was that of the obviously secret classes composed mostly of about 4 people; classes of 6 pupils were rare. Lessons took approximately 12 hours per week. Many teachers also taught individual lessons, facing the problem of competition from less skilled educators who requested a lower fee. In general, mutual competition caused a lot of harm among teachers. Our wages became altogether unsatisfactory. Pupils attending secret classes paid 30–40 zlotys a month per head, which is about 20 percent less than in Polish schools of that kind. But I think the reason for this was not just “market relations”, but also the awful tradition prevailing in the Jewish community, which has always dictated that teachers be treated as pariahs. In most secret classes pupils were taught by teachers from their old school. Therefore, co-education was rare, although it was not rejected on principle. Young people from the countryside created separate groups under the guidance of their teachers (Łódź), and in part joined secret classes in Warsaw. In fact, efforts were made to implement a complete curriculum. Some organisers had the unfortunate idea of getting rid of history and geography, as these were considered particularly dangerous subjects. These gaps were later filled, but not before they had taken their toll.
It is clear that it was generally the best among the young people who took up the task—that is, the more capable, or more diligent, as those of little worth quickly give up. In general, wealth has no significant [4] impact, because the fees are very low, and a large number of pupils are offered further discounts—some of them are even taught free of charge. Let me say this again, girls were more willing to learn than boys. In the winter of 1939–1940, teaching led to quite satisfactory results. Pupils showed interest in the work, perhaps even greater interest than before the war. The challenges were the complete lack of classrooms and libraries; the number of textbooks was also insufficient.
In the first half of 1940, a decree was announced prohibiting teaching unless one applied for a permit. This caused concern among teachers, although there was no panic. The work continued. In view of the new law, the following stance was adopted. It was found that compliance with the decree would
