It was founded in 17th century supposedly by then owners of the village – Jesuits of Kłodzko which is proven by the fact that statistical accounts of the period mention that the school was situated in the ecclesial part of the settlement.
First sourcing reference comes from an old jury book of Wielisław (witten by the local village court) in which we can find receipts from the year 1665 concerning sale of timber coming from deconstructed houses below the school. In 1697 first teacher was mentioned by name: Christof Müller.
The oldest preserved description of the school dates back to the 18th century. In 1769 king Frederick the 2nd gave compulsory education realization order to land lords, teachers, counselors in Kłodzko county. Form the same year comes Urbarz – a description of ecclesial estate and services which people of Wielisław were obliged to. It stated that the school and teacher’s room were to be situated in the yard of the church.
The school was then placed in a small, wooden building composed of 2 rooms. In the larger, where teaching was conducted, there were 3 writing tables, 6 benches, a board for ‘plain lectures’, a copy of the Bible, 10 catechism books, 18 patriotic books, a teacher’s book, an inkpot, a coatrack and a crucifix painted on paper. The smaller room was equipped with a table, a stool, a copper pot, an oil lamp, and a rake.
The owners of Dwór Górny manor and the residents of Stary Wielisław, Nowy Wielisław, Sokołówka, and Pokrzywna were obliged to deliver firewood and provide renovations.
The amenities of the school (lacking even a stove) were less than modest and it did not serve its purpose. Thus in 1836 the residents built a new, larger building of bricks, and stone. There is a notice above the entrance saying : ‘1836 built for our children’. Growing number of students required employing an additional teacher (There were two of them).
273 children attended the school in 1845, 280 students form 3 different places in 1887, and 142 from Stary Wielisław alone in 1883.
Best students were granted scholarship and the poorest could get financial help from resident fund for buying school equipment, clothing, and footwear . The owner of Dwór Górny manor, Augustina Büttner (20.04.1852), founded an allowance for poor but promising students from Stary Wielisław. Floriana Tauber (15.12.1864), in turn, founded an allowance of 100 thalers .
As sources report , the work of a teacher in Stary Wielisław school was not amongst the easiest . Descriptions of their duties prove that teaching was just a small part of their work. They were to ring a great bell for a half of a quarter in the parish church every Friday at 3 in the afternoon as a remembrance of Christ’s death. Also they had to prepare mass announcements, play instruments, sing, during the service, helping the parson in the sacristy.
From 1769 Urbarz one can learn teacher’s payroll. They received a modest annual salary form the royal Prussian education department. From the village residents they received a tithe consisted of wheat, rye, wheat flour, and peas. On St. George’s Day 66 loaves and on St. Michael’s Day 68 loaves of bread. From each of the 2 manors 15 eggs at every Easter. From royal woods near Pokrzywna about 16 meters of wood every year. Moreover they could use a shed by the church (free of rent). They were also allowed to collect 1 stack of brushwood yearly from a graveyard where pople killed by cholera were buried.
translation: R. Augustyniak