Razprave in gradivo, Ljubljana, March 1986, No.18 
Anka Budimlija UDC 376.744(497.1:316.356.72 
Republiéki zavod za unapredjivanje 
vaspitanja i obrazovanja SR Srbije 
Yugoslavia 
THE ROLE OF THE SCHOOL IN PRESERVING THE CULTURAL AND LANGUAGE 
IDENTITY OF PUPILS AND ITS INFLUENCE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF 
BROTHERHOOD, UNITY AND EQUALITY OF THE PEOPLES AND NATIONALITIES 
IN THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF SERBIA* 
During the postwar period, many schools attended by different 
nationalities and using their languages have been established on 
the principle of equality and solidarity; they have created the 
conditions for education in the native languages (Bulgarian, 
Albanian, Slovak and Rumanian).* Elementary education encompasses 
all Bulgarian children, while secondary education encompasses 
more than 95 percent of the youth. A high percentage of 
secondary-school graduates continue their education (about 51 
percent) in the institutions of higher education, either in this 
country or in Bulgaria. 
Although the society has developed the principle of education for 
all (i.e. compulsory eight-year education), a lower percentage of 
children and adolescents belonging to the Albanian nationality 
are enrolled in elementary and secondary schools. Elementary 
education encompasses 94.5 percent of Albanian nationality 
children; secondary schools include about 80 percent of these 
pupils; more than 30 percent of Albanians continue education in 
their native language in the institutions of higher education and 
universities in SAP Kosovo, while a lower percentage study at 
other universities in the country. But, if we consider that up to 
1945 this nationality did not have any schools where the teaching 
was conducted in their native language, and that more than 95 
percent of the inhabitants were illiterate, it can be concluded 
that the Albanians have witnessed their educational and cultural 
regeneration by receiving unselfish support and solidarity of the 
Serbs and other nations living in SR Serbia. 
The education of Rumanian and Slovak children is ordanized in 
their respective native languages only up to the fourth grade of 
the elementary school, because of the low percentage of children. 
Romany and Vlach children take preparatory classes before 
entering school, so as to more successfully follow the lessons in 
Serbo-Croatian. 
The growth of education of the nationalities has stimulated the 
development of national cultures, and their interrelation with 
the culture of the majority nation and of those of the other 
nations. This process, to be sure, has not taken place evenly in 
each environment, because of the different levels of economic, 
social and cultural development. 
  
* Original: Serbo-Croatian 
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During the National Liberation War and the Socialist Revolution, 
our country opted for the equality, unity and solidarity of the 
nations and nationalities, and consequently invested most of the 
available funds in the underdeveloped parts of the country, which 
include most of the communities where the nationalities live, in 
order to integrate them fully into the Yugoslav socialist 
community on an equal basis. 
Organized Action on the Part of the Schools in Realizing the 
Principle of National Equality, Brotherhood and Unity 
Education of all the nations and nationalities in SR Serbia 
proper is uniformly regulated by the Law on Education and other 
Republic and Communal self-managing acts. Equal rights and 
financial means are extended to all nationalities for the 
organization of schools, (either regular or extra-mural studies). 
The Law provides for a free choice of the language of instruction 
and a free orientation in deciding for or against learning the 
language of the social environment” in multi-national communes. 
The Educational Reform (implemented in 1975) made a step towards 
socializing education, which meant a reduced role of government 
authorities in directing the educational policy, in managing 
schools, their connection with associated labour (economic and 
social organisations), and socio-political communities and their 
self-management organizing. The process of securing financial 
means for carrying out educational goals and tasks is based on 
the principle of the free exchange of labour. This has brought 
about a qualitatively new relation between the school and the 
social environment. However, in this process, the positive 
effects from various social environments were set off against the 
negative ones. 
The dissociation of the school from the state and its stronger 
link with the social environment creates better possibilities for 
fostering national cultures and native languages, but on the 
other hand it requires, first, that the school establishes 
broader relations with the ideological, cultural, scientific and 
political influences of the society; and secondly, a complete 
socialization of the youth, training them to understand 
ideological, cultural and other values of their people and of the 
total social community, as well as developing their awareness of 
the necessity and importance of the homogeneous Yugoslav society. 
Therefore, the society must have the possibility of supervising, 
first of all, the relative success of schools in carrying out 
national equality, brotherhood and unity among pupils of 
different nationalities; and secondly, the performance of other 
such elements in the social environment as are charged with 
educational policy matters. 
According to the legislation and other social solutions 
regulating the school organization, there are the following 
possibilities in multi-national environments connected with the 
pupil's nationality and his native language: 
1. Schools with a single language of instruction, where teaching 
is conducted entirely in the native language. 
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2. Bilingual schools for children of Bulgarian, Serbian and other 
nationalities (in the Dimitrovgrad, Surdulica and Babusnica 
communes), Lessons are performed in Serbo-Croatian and in 
Bulgarian, Both of the languages are taught as subjects of 
instruction. 
3. Secondary schools for Bulgarians in Serbo-Croatian (on special 
request of students and their parents). In these schools many 
specifics on national culture are taught, and the mother tongue 
is cultivated through the teaching of Bulgarian language, 
literature, history, art, music education, and through 
extracurricular activities. 
4. Schools with two languages of instruction (Serbo-Croatian and 
Albanian in the Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja communes). 
Lessons and other school activities are performed in the native 
language. Teaching in two or more languages enables the pupils to 
make friends with their schoolmates. 
In schools where teaching is conducted in the native language, 
equality as to nationality is fully realized. The literature, 
history, art and music curricula contain elements of the national 
cultures; teachers' and students’ textbooks and handbooks for the 
teaching/learning of the native languages as subjects of 
instruction and as languages of instruction are provided. 
Teachers receive their education and in-service training in the 
native language. 
The most topical issue in these schools is the question of the 
aevelopment of brotherhood and unity between peoples and 
nationalities, their togetherness, Yugoslav socialist patriotism, 
love of and respect for the heritage of the National Liberation 
War and the Socialist Revolution. 
Classes in bilingual schools are nationally mixed. The curricular 
covering social science subjects contain proportional amounts of 
specific content derived from the pupils' national culture. Such 
a school organization, according to our research results, ensures 
full equality of nationalities, and promotes brotherhood, unity 
and togetherness among pupils of different nationalities. These 
schools employ mostly teachers of Bulgarian nationality, which is 
in agreement with the pupils' nationality. 
As the Constitution guarantees the right to choose one's own 
language of instruction, secondary schools for Bulgarians have 
been organized in Serbo-Croatian. Such a decision arose from 
practical needs. Education in Serbo-Croatian provides better 
possibilities for choosing a profession, place of work and 
similar favorable conditions. 
School organization, the furtherance of brotherhood, unity, 
togetherness and national equality of the peoples and 
nationalities, constitute the political components of the 
educational system. Therefore the organization and implementation 
of education in multinational and multicultural societies calls 
for greater care on the part of all the participants in these 
processes. 
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Teaching Syllabuses and their Role in the Cultivation of National 
Cultures and Native Languages, and their Influence on the 
Development of Brotherhood and Unity 
The cultivation of national cultures and native languages can be 
made very successful through education, The adequate content of 
teaching syllabuses and the skill to implement it are of utmost 
importance in developing brotherhood, unity and togetherness of 
the peoples and nationalities. The planning of material to be 
covered, especially in the social sciences, is a complex task. 
The selection of the syllabus content must be made to ensure that 
the pupils acquire an objective view of the past and present in 
our country; that the peoples and nationalities acquire a sound 
knowledge of the economic, cultural and scientific achievements 
of the other peoples and nationalities; that they acquire 
abilities and skills for living and working in the Yugoslav 
multinational community; that they are able to understand, from 
the scientific point of view, the nation and nationalities 
question; that they develop brotherhood and unity, national 
equality and Yugoslav socialist patriotism and humanism. 
These tasks can be actualized through the subject contents of the 
native language and literature, history, society, art and music 
as well as through the content of the other subjects, appropriate 
textbooks, handbooks and other literature. The teachers also play 
a very important role in this process. 
Recent changes in the educational system of the SFRY have enacted 
a number of unified solutions in this area and many more common 
content in the syllabuses for the whole country, particularly the 
SR of Serbia, which makes possible the publication of common 
textbooks, handbooks, other literature and teaching materials. 
Experience and knowledge deriving from our contemporary 
pedagogical theory and practice have shown the necessity for 
unified teaching syllabuses for the natural sciences and other 
subjects, and for a broader scope of the common content in the 
native language, literature, history, art and music syllabuses. 
This need has prompted the creation of the common core content 
for all the subjects of instruction and other areas of 
educational work, which has served as a basis for the 
elaboration of the new curricula and syllabuses. For example, the 
program in Albanian as the native language in the elementary 
schools of SR Serbia included 80 percent of Albanian literature 
and only 10 percent of Yugoslav literature and another 10 percent 
of world literature. 
Such common-core curricula enable the pupils to acquire knowledge 
of the national history, literature and other achievements and 
specificities of the nation they belong to as well as of the 
culture of the other peoples and nationalities. In native- 
language instruction the pupils will be introduced to the best 
writers and the most representative works from their own national 
literature as well as with the best writers and the most notable 
works of the other Yugoslav peoples and nationalities and from 
world literature. Thus the pupils are able to develop "an ability 
to assess artistic and other achievements with feeling, with 
research-oriented mind, and critically; a broader intellectual 
outlook and critical capability, a scientific view of the world, 
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and creative abilities and working habits; and a positive 
attitude towards the languages, cultures and revolutionary 
traditions of our country. We must explain to the pupils that 
further cultural and economic development of our national 
community depends on beneficial, persistent and skilled work; and 
the fostering of Yugoslav socialist patriotism and of readiness 
to defend one's homeland." (The educational tasks of the teaching 
of the native languages in the elementary schools of SR Serbia). 
The educational programs for the subject Introduction to Society 
contain topics from the common past and present of the peoples 
and nationalities, their struggle for improving their national 
and social position, and for creating a homogeneous native 
country. 
History as a subject of instruction can in particular help to 
foster the pupils’ national identity. For instance, in schools of 
Bulgarian nationality the instruction includes specific content 
from the Bulgarian history. Through the subject contents, 
especially specific history topics, the following educational 
tasks are carried out: "Acquisition of knowledge of historical 
roots of events, processes, and oppositions within the modern 
society and learning to critically and objectively evaluate 
present events and occurrences, provide facts about the National 
Liberation War and the Socialist Revolution, and understanding 
the development of our socialist self-managing society." 
In the multinational environments of Serbia, the school realizes 
its educational role also by organizing the teaching of the 
language of the social environment (from the first grade of the 
elementary school to the end of secondary education). These 
languages are chosen by the majority of the pupils, especially in 
the nationalities' schools (although the subject is optional. 
Proficiency in the language of the social environment helps the 
pupils to get better acquainted with cultural values of the 
peoples and nationalities. All the languages of the social 
environment (Serbo-Croatian, Albanian and Bulgarian) are treated 
on an equal footing. 
The syllabuses with their all-round character contribute to the 
maintenance of national identity and to the development of a 
versatile personality; they build the awareness of the socio- 
historical and cultural need for interconnecting the nations and 
their cultures; they enable the pupils to objectively perceive 
the position of their people in the Yugoslav and world community; 
they enable the pupils to acquire sound knowledge of the common 
past of the nations and nationalities whose destinies were for 
centuries interdependent. 
A proper understanding of the past contributes to a fuller and 
deeper understanding of the present and future. 
Social and Extracurricular Activities in Developing Education, 
Brotherhood, Unity and Togetherness of the Pioneers and Youth 
Social and extracurricular activities broaden the pupil's 
knowledge and experience. They play an important educational 
role, especially in the education of the youth in the spirit of 
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brotherhood, unity and togetherness in the Yugoslav socialist 
community of the peoples and nationalities. Through their 
numerous forms and varied teaching content based on the 
educational aims and the needs and possibilities of the social 
environment, these activities enable the pupils to realize their 
wishes, interests, tendencies and abilities. 
We shall mention only some of the existing forms and contents of 
social and extracurricular activities realized in joint pupils' 
collectives organized on a self-managing basis, communities and 
organizations in: Pioneers' Organizations, Socialist Youth 
League, class organizations and various out-of-school activities 
(groups, clubs, societies and other forms), 
The Pioneers' Organization - as a unified educational and socio- 
recreational children's organization, takes care of socialist 
education for all elementary school children. The pupils 
associate in pioneers’ units organized on self-management 
principles, through which their social life is organized, 
Oriented and unified in schools, local communities and throughout 
the territory of Yugoslavia; they stimulate their working, self- 
managing and social concern through different forms and contents 
of social and extracurricular activities: working discussions and 
agreements - meetings and assemblies, work and humanitarian 
drives of a socially beneficial character, admission of Pioneer's 
into the Pioneer's Organization, Pioneer's meetings, marches, 
competitions, exhibitions, cooperation between units, sports and 
recreational activities and other forms. 
The Socialist Youth League of Yugoslavia is a unified socio- 
political and voluntary organization of working-people, village, 
school and student youth, intended to satisfy their interests. 
Through this organization and its branches the schools propose, 
direct and implement the basic self-management tasks of pupils; 
organize ideological and political work; encourage creativity in 
work and production activities, in science, technology and art, 
social life, entertainment and sport. 
Through different activities of pupils' class communities, 
especially in multinational environments, it is possible to 
establish and promote friendship among pupils. Joint actions in 
schools and in the social environment, common interests in trying 
to achieve best results in schoolwork, and joint work and 
humanitarian drives bring together pupils of different 
nationalities. 
The whole-day school and prolonged school are conducive to the 
learning of the language of the social environment and to 
friendly associations. The cooperation between the youngest 
pupils is motivated by love and sincerity. Through childrens’ 
friendships, the parents often get acquainted with each other too 
and become friends. Thus the children effectively do away with 
national and linguistic barriers. 
Pioneers and youth joined in activities of the voluntary mass 
Physical labour on the local, provincial or republic and federal 
levels, carry out programmes of production and other socially 
beneficial work: they collect medicinal herbs, take care of the 
cleanliness of the schools, afforest the bare rocky countryside 
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of the homeland, build public buildings throughout the country. 
These common activities are carried out in the native languages 
of the pupils, by a free choice of forms and contents of work and 
on the basis of self-management principles. Through joint 
activities the pupils develop the awareness of the equality and 
unity and interrelation of our peoples and nationalities, the 
need to understand each other's language, culture and 
specificities. 
Extracurricular activities of pupils, especially in the drama, 
literature, recitation, language, history, geography, music and 
art activities of pupils and in the groups of youngsters who 
learn the language of the social environment, offer great 
possibilities for the education of young people aiming to 
integrate them into multinational environments. 
In conclusion, we must stress that the education of youth is a 
very complex process, especially in multinational and 
multicultural societies, in particular those which are not evenly 
developed. Such is the case of Yugoslavia. Facing up to this 
problem, our society has developed a specific educational system 
based on the principles of national freedom and equality, 
solidarity and togetherness of the Yugoslav peoples and 
nationalities. The most important social task of the school in 
multinational environments is to foster national identity of 
pupils and to develop brotherhood, unity and Yugoslav socialist 
patriotism. 
Notes 
1. Most of the Albanian people live in SAP Kosovo, while most of 
the Slovaks and Rumanians reside in SAP Vojvodina. 
2. I.e,, any of the Yugoslav languages which is taught in schools 
in multinational environments as a subject of instruction in 
one's native language. 
3. Common-core content of the syllabuses contains unified 
educational aims, tasks and contents of the educational work in 
all of the syllabuses, independent of the language of instruction 
used. 
4. The educational tasks of the teaching of the native languages 
in the elementary schools of the SR of Serbia. 
5. In schools of Bulgarian nationality the instruction includes 
specific content from Bulgarian history. 
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