Report from Serbia

Which Yugoslav History?

History is a social science that deals with human society from the appearance of human beings until nowadays. Studying human society includes studying social formulations, governmental structure, wars, peace, agreements, negotiations and cultures. All these aspects are basic factors for studying history– i.e. the science that gives answers to questions such as: What has happened? How has that happened? What are the reasons, motives and consequences of something? The first contact with history child has (without realizing it) in his/her early childhood when he/she gets information about his/her roots and ancestors. While the child grows, he/she becomes aware of different events and he/she becomes interested in how, why, when that happened and how it ended. Child grows up through game and superficial explanations and soon it is time for the beginning of education.

In lower grades a child becomes acquainted with a subject called "nature and social study" through drawings, pictures songs and stories. This subject gives a chance to a child to find out about family, ancestors, and wars. Teachers find different ways to explain the origin of the human race; the way man hunted and fed himself and the way he lived. After this basic knowledge a child comes to 4^th grade when the subject nature and social study is divided into two parts: nature study – which is the introduction of geography and social study- which is the introduction to history. While studying social study, child becomes aware of some new ideas such as: governmental and social structure, classes and class society, reasons and motives. During this period a child finds out about declaring and making wars, which are the periods of wars, peace and negotiations. A child fins out that his/her country went through a lot of different stages and that his/her ancestors are the Slavs who settled here and established their countries. He/she finds out about the dynasties of the Nemanjic, the Obrenovic and the Karadjordjevic. He/she learns that his/her country has gone through a long way from being a tribal state, empire, and domain to kingdom and socialist republic. He/she finds out that many important historical events took place here: the battle on the Kosovo field, the 1^st and the 2^nd Serbian rebellion, the 1^st and the 2^nd World War.

In a short period of time a child becomes acquainted with a large number of information, which surprise him/her but also attract him/her to learn something new. This period has a great importance in future history learning because it depends a lot on methods that are used by teacher.

At the age of 10 or 11 – child goes to higher grades of elementary education. There he/she is surrounded with many new subjects and teachers. One of the new subjects is History. This subject material allows a child to meet all important facts that history is consisted of. In these higher grades a child has history lessons two times a week. Depending on the grade the child is in, all periods of historical development, events and some new facts are taught.

In the 5^th grade pupils get basic ideas concerning pre–history and ancient times. They learn about origin and genesis o9f human race, their way of life, their discoveries and also about pre–history on the Balkans and archaeological finds from this period. When the first human community disintegrated, human society was led to slave holding period– i.e. ancient times. Pupils find out about the first countries formed in the Far East, their culture, structure, and religion. From the Far East the subject switches to Europe, where pupils learn about Greek culture, wars, alliances, their successes and failures. It is talked about success and disintegration of Hellenistic country. The history of Roman Empire is also taught through legends and facts concerning kings, emperors, Christianity, position of slaves and life of slaveholders. While learning about the Roman Empire attention is paid also to peoples who lived on the territory of the Balkans and to disintegration of slave holding society.

In the 6^th grade pupils learn about the next period in history development– feudalism– i.e. the Middle Ages. Pupils get some basic knowledge about big migrations, formation of Byzantium, formation of feudalistic countries and societies, their culture and religion. Special attention is paid to the South Slavs, their relationship with neighbours and natives, as well as to the coming of the Turks and their reign. There are also facts about struggle of our people in Serbia, Bosnia and Zeta, about Dubrovnik, Vlach, Moldavia and Albania and their relationship with the Turks.

In the 7^th grade pupils learn about development and accomplishments of Europe and also all around the world. They find out about geographical discoveries, manufacture, humanism, reformation and their consequences. They learn about revolutions such as French bourgeois revolution, civil revolutions and revolution in 1848/49.

Our pupils also learn about the position of our people while being under foreign reign. The Turkish, Austrian and Venice are mentioned. It is talked about the privileges and sacrifices, the attempt of losing the identity and other things important for our people. Children learn about the 1^st and the 2^nd Serbian rebellion, getting the autonomy, about Bosnia and Herzegovina, Vojvodina and Dalmatia.

The theme of 8^th grade is Modern Age. It is talked about unions, divisions and wars of European countries, colonies and their position, the 1^st and the 2^nd World War. These lectures have data about the history of national minorities. Some recent events are also dealt with –e.g. disintegration of Yugoslavia in 1992.

In secondary vocational schools, history is one of the general subjects. Depending on whether the children are on three-year or four-year education, plans and programs are adjusted to their interests. Pupils in technical sections have history lessons for two years, two times a week. During these two years they go through the most representative events from general and national history. In the scope of national history topics connected with national minorities are worked out. However, will these topics be worked out or not depend mainly on the lecturer.

In three-year education pupils have history only for a year, three times a week. Their aim and main task is to learn only the basic things from national history, while the units dealing with national minorities are usually uninteresting to them.

University education is all-inclusive. Students do many reports, papers and have many lectures. In that way they find out about some new discoveries and also do some research work. Nowadays computers and Internet provide much useful information for learning and studying. The relationship between students and professors is quite decent and large number of assistants and associates brings up to that. Professors use different kind of literature as sources for their lectures. They usually use maps because there arena’t any conditions for using some other teaching aids.

The complete studying of history would have been more successful if there were some pictures, reproductions, audio and video equipment available. Textbooks and basic literature are chosen quite well. Textbooks for primary and high school have the concept that is appropriate for pupil’s age and level of understanding, while the textbooks for secondary vocational schools could be more efficient. In textbooks for technical schools some units are filled to excess with unnecessary details and facts that can easily bring to confusion during the process of learning. Textbooks for three-year school are adapted to that level quite well.

In these textbooks there is sufficient number of units that deal with the history of national minority, their origin, and customs, culture, their settlement and relationship with natives. It is also discussed about battles, negotiations and events important for region where specific national minority lives. It is discussed about natural effects between national minority and its surrounding. The issues such as assimilation, struggle and expulsion as well as the protection of minority are presented in the textbooks. However, teacher makes the main decision. He/she decides which units will be taught and how much attention will be paid to them.

Anyway, when you live in a multinational environment it is natural and unavoidable to talk about all the nations on the specific territory. The interest in this subject starts from an early childhood when a child starts to ask questions about his/her friend who has different name, surname, eat different kind of food, use different kind of language. In time, child finds out about differences and similarities with specific national minorities. Their natural influence is very significant. But thanks to their ethnic origin, their customs, religion they are unique and they contribute to our national history.

Other countries, which surround our, are also very important with their different influences. During the centuries, many wars, unions and negotiations became the most beautiful and intriguing parts not only in our but in the history of all people and countries on the Balkans.

Every nation looks on their own success and failures in specific way. Pupils learn about them through the information provided in their textbooks. Of course, since everyone writes history on his/her own way, which is often the case, there are some disagreements and illogicalities, but they always give some results in the end. The history of the Balkans is significant not only for the region of Balkans but for the whole Europe. The first countries and cultural achievements are made in this area. The unions of Balkan countries have been very important in a struggle against the Turks. These unions always had mutual enemies or friends.

All these events in the Balkans are important part of world’s history and that is why it is learnt on almost every continent. The countries in the Balkans were reasons and motives for many wars of big proportions. These countries are objects of admiration and hatred for many politicians and historians. The Balkans will always be interesting and attractive. It has its great history, present and it will certainly have future.

Goran Mitrovic

People's Parliament Association