Zbornik Radova Filozofskog Fakulteta u Prištini (Jan 2013)
Schooling and education in Ibarski Kolašin from 1918-1941
Abstract
In any humanist society and its political, economic, cultural and other aspects, education is very important in leveraging the whole development and prosperity. Any consideration of the educational system is started with primary schools, as they have always been the foundation of institutional education in any society. Ibarski Kolašin represents an interesting multi-unit in Serbia. This is the name for the area that stretches along the river Ibar, from north of Kosovo and Metohija to southern Raska. The greatest place in the Ibarski Kolašin is Zubin Potok, and the larger villages are Ugljare, Ujmani, Cecev, Velji Breg Bërnjak, Oklace and Ribariće. This is an area which maintained a compact Serbian population through the Middle Ages, five centuries of slavery under the Turks, and later to the present day. In fact, this region is among the first to fall into Turkish slavery, and among the last to rejoice liberation from the Nazis. The authors, based on archives, are trying to reconstruct the origin, development and growth of schooling and education in the Ibarski Kolašin in the period between the two world wars. The work seems especially interesting because of the fact that the Ibarski Kolašin welcomed relief after the First World War as one of the poorest regions in Serbia and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. Also, Ibarski Kolašin being a separate academic and educational unit makes sense due to the fact that there used to be one of the first schools in the period of Nemanjić dynasty - school of knitting and communications Queen Helen of Anjou in this area. A unique monastery, Black River situated in Ibaski Kolašin whose guest house was turned into a school which primarily developed the activity of copying religious books. In the circumstances stated, immediately after the First World War, the school authorities had to have a lot of tact when opening new schools and improving school buildings for the people not to feel the new load. On the contrary, the population of Ibarski Kolašin enthusiastically welcomed each new school.
