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The earliest schools in Sebia after the fall of the Roman Empire, as in many other European countries are associated with the Christian church in the medieval era (11th-12th centuries). The Catholic church founded colleges in Vojvodina (Titel and Bac). Education as it developed during the edieval era was primarily associated with the Orthodox Church. Here the Monasteries (Sopocani, Studenica, and Pec). As modern Serbia began to form around the medieval kingdom of Raska (12th century), The Serbs emraced Orthodoxy which has since been the country's dominant church. We are not yet sure how the Ottomon conquest affected education in Serbia. While aminority, the Catholic church played an important role in the development of Serbian education. The Jesuit School was founded in Belgrade (1609). The Cathilic Church founded a teacher's college in Vojvodina, an area wih a Catholic Hunagrian minority. The Teacher's College in Subotica was the first European-style institution of higher education in Serbia (1689). During the Napoleonic Wars in Europe (1799-1815), Serbian began to move toward independence from the Ottomans. There was a brief Serbian state (1804-13). Nationalist and independece sentimant was especially strong in Belgrade as Serbian cultural insitutions grew, especially in Belgrade. Both Belgrade and Vojvodina became recginized centers of education. The Great School was founded in Belgrade (1808). The Gymnasium Jovan Jovanović Zmaj was also founded in Belgrade (1810). The Gymnasium played a major role in developing Serbian culure, educating many important cultural figures. Serbian independence in the mid-19th century made possible the foundation of a national educational system financed by the government. The Great School was the foundation for the University of Belgrade, Serbia's most prestigious education institution (1905). The Communists after World War II placed a great emphasis on mass education. A major effort was made to eliminate illiteracy. The Communists introduced 7 years of compulsory school education. They also opened vocational schools need to supply workers for the industrialization wwhich was a major part of the economic program.
The governent extended compulsory education t 8 years (1960s). The expanded educational system was a major achievement of the Communists. They established many educational institutions and increased the number of professional teaching staff. Education wa a major budget priority. There were problems, however, especially with the curricula and the political controls.
Serbia was within the area controlled by both the Roman Empire. While considerable information exists on Roman education, we do not yet know of any specific information about Roman schools in the Blkan provinces
The first schools we know as in other countries after the fall of the Roman Empire were schools at courts for noble children, usially just the boys. The teachers were often clergy which were the mst likely to be literate. They might include secular people as well. The first schools for Serbian children other than the nobility as in many other European countries are associated with the Christian church. This occurred relatively late in the medieval era. The Serbs were Christainized centuriss after Western Europe (9th cemtury AD). This was also the time that the Serbs were developing the Slavic language in the form of Cyrillic. We begin to see momastaries in Serbia, many in Kosovo (12th century). The monastaries were rare centers of learmning and literacy This was about the time that the independent Serbian kingdom was established. The appearances of momastaries is important in any study of educarion because the first schools were located in these monasteries. Af first it was informal instructiin and gradually took on the formal characteistivs of a school. Some of these monastic school survived into modern times. [Karadžić] The Catholic church founded colleges in Vojvodina (Titel and Bac). Education as it developed during the medieval era was primarily associated with the dominant Orthodox Church. Here the Monasteries (Sopocani, Studenica, and Pec). As modern Serbia began to form around the medieval kingdom of Raska (12th century), The Serbs emraced Orthodoxy which has since been the country's dominant church. Only a small minority of children woul have received any formal education. The Church's primary interest in education during the early medieval era was in training the clergy. We are not yet sure just how much this had changed during the later medieval period.
The Ottomans defeated the medieval Serbian Army at the Battle of Kosovo Polje (1389). We are not yet sure how the Ottomon conquest affected education in Serbia. There was no Otttoman state education system. The Ottomans did apparently allow local comminities and religious groups to operate schools. Only a minority of children would have received any formal education during the Ottoman period. While a minority, the Catholic church played an important role in the development of Serbian education. Among these schools were Slavic and Latin schools. The Jesuit School was founded in Belgrade (1609). The Catholic Church founded a teacher's college in Vojvodina, an area wih a Catholic Hunagrian minority. The Teacher's College in Subotica was the first European-style institution of higher education in Serbia (1689). We see furher steps in the 18th century, mistly by Christian grouos. New schools were opened. This included the first teacher training school, grammar school, theological school, and other schools. Nuch if this occurred in the northern Serbian province of Vojvodina. This would be a factor in the rise of Serbian nationalism which was tied into Christian groups and an increasing pish for autonomy. The Serbian primary school Norma was established in Sombor (1778). The Gymnasium of Karlovci, the oldest Serbian secondary school, was established (1791).
During the Napoleonic Wars in Europe (1799-1815), Serbia began to move toward independence from the Ottomans. There was a brief Serbian state (1804-13). Nationalist and independece sentimant was especially strong in Belgrade as Serbian cultural insitutions grew, especially in Belgrade. Both Belgrade and Vojvodina became recginized centers of education. The Great School was founded in Belgrade (1808). During the First Serbian Uprising, Belgrade Higher School was established (1808). The Gymnasium Jovan Jovanović Zmaj was also founded in Belgrade (1810). The Gymnasium played a major role in developing Serbian culure, educating many important cultural figures.
Serbian independence in the mid-19th century made possible the foundation of a national educational system financed by the government. The first school constitution was adopted (1833). Authorities began adopting national curricula were adopted, as well as the general law on schools, within which special laws were published (for primary schools, trade schools, grammar school, and lyceum). A huge pronlem was the education of girls. One author writes, "Education of girls in Serbia was frowned upon, and even ridiculed during the 1820s. A German traveler, Otto Dubislav Pirkh, who journyed through Serbia in 1829 was shocked by the lack of educated women and asked why girls were not sent to school. He was given the following reply which he recorded: 'They (the girls) will never be in business. They will never get any jobs in the civil service. Why then do they need an education.'" [Poppvitch]
The Liceum of Serbian Principality was established in Kragujeva (1838). It was moved to Belgrade in 1841. In 1863, it merged into the Belgrade Higher School. It had 3 faculties: philosophy, engineering and law. Later, it became the University of Belgrade. The Government began working toward a goal of compulsory 6-year primary education for children of both genders. This was the goal set by the Educatlion Law (1882). Finnacing and economic issues limited progress. Only about 20 percentbof Serbian children were attending school (1900). [Ilić] The problem was in tural areas and Serbia was still a largely rural country. The problem of educating girls coninued and persisted even unto the early-20th century. Serbian schools were strongly incluenced by the German education. Germany had one of rhe stringest pubkic education ststens in the world. And despite differences with Austria-Hunagary (ruled by he Geramn-Austrian naonarchy), Serbia used German schools and curicula as a model to build their own system. The Great School was the foundation for the University of Belgrade, Serbia's most prestigious education institution (1905). Serbia provided the spark that ignited World War I (1914). The country was occupied by the Cenral Powers when German triips came to the aid of the Austrians (1915). The occupation was severe. We are not sure what happened to the schools, but we note one scondary school that was functioning during the occuoation. After the War, Yigolavia as built around the Serbian monarchy..
Serbia was the core around which Yugoslavia was organized After World War I. Royal Yugoslavia was a federation. We do not yet know a great deal about education during this period, but we believe that the various constiuent parts of Yugoslavia retained considrable control over the schools. This may mot be as significant as it sounds as German education standasrds were influential not only in Serbia, but in the provinces firnerly cintolled by Austria-Hungary (Bossnia, Croatia, and Slovenia). This constituted the great bulk of the country. The Communists after World War II placed a great emphasis on mass education. A major effort was made to eliminate illiteracy. The Communists introduced 7 years of compulsory school education. They also opened vocational schools need to supply workers for the industrialization wwhich was a major part of the economic program.
The governent extended compulsory education t 8 years (1960s). The expanded educational system was a major achievement of the Communists. They established many educational institutions and increased the number of professional teaching staff. Education wa a major budget priority. There were problems, however, especially with the curricula and the political controls.
Ilić A (2005) "Školski sistem, nastavnici I učenici u Srbiji 1804-2004." in: Avramović Z (ed) Dva veka obrazovanja u Srbiji. Institut za pedagoška istraživanja (Beograd), pp 109–64.
Karanovich, Milenko. The Development of Education in Serbia and Emergence of Its Intelligentsia, 1838-1858.
Karadžić, Vuk Stefanović. Srpski rječnik (Vienna: 1818). Karadžić attended a momasric school and descrines it in his preface.
Popovitch, Ružica. "The education of women in 19th-century Serbia," Serbian Studies: Journal of the North American Society for Serbian Studies Vol. 29, Nos. 1-2, (2018). pp. 137-50.
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