Anali za povijest odgoja, Vol. 2 No. 2, 2003.
Pregledni rad
The Development of Vocational Schools in Osijek
Blaženka Sudar
; Strojarska tehnička škola, Osijek, Hrvatska
Sažetak
A school is an integral part of the economic, social and political life of a region. An analysis of the authentic documents of the State Archives in Osijek, as well as the existing literature, gave insight into the development of vocational schools of mechanical engineering in Osijek during a period of a hundred years. Since craft and trade were the leading forces of development of the town of Osijek until the middle of the 19th century, two apprentice schools already existed from 1886, which were to give vocational training to the new generation of craftsmen and tradesman. However, the master craftsmen and craftsmen in general were disatisfied with manner of instruction in those schools, since the apprentice schools did not provide adequate vocational training. Due to these reasons, the Chamber of Crafts and Trade, as the initiator of economic progress, supported by the Town Council, the mayor and the district prefect, at the beginning of the 20th century raised the question of the founding of a trade school in Osijek. The conditions of crafts training in Croatia were compared to those in Hungary and Austria, with which Croatia was in a joint union. During this period Hungary had 148 diff erent crafts and trade schools. Austria 204, and Slavonia no such school at all. In Croatia there was only the Zagreb trade school, which according to the opinion of the Chamber could not provide for the character development and education of the young generation of craftsmen in the entire country, especially, since those attending the school unwillingly opted for the modest regional crafts workshops. Due to these facts, the demands of the Osijek area for the founding of a new vocational school, which should have the features of a general vocational educational institution and in which trades people from the whole country could be educated, stood to reason. Such initiatives coincided with the development of domestic industry, the increase in the number of industrial firms, capital inflow, use of machines, and the need for a great number of workers in the metal manufacturing industry. Since this part of Croatia is an agricultural area, factories of farm machinery had developed especially. The fondry and machine factory that was founded 1912 and which developed into the largest industrial capacity in the 1930’s represented the metal industry of Osijek. It was precisely OLT that developed into the real driving force of the founding of the Trade School in Osijek. Previous initiatives could not have been realized due to a series of unforeseen circumstances. Namely, the town supplied the land necessary for the workshop, and the state government authorized the founding of the school. Also, an agreement was reached regarding the financing but, probably due to the First World War, the ideas were not realized. In addition to the economic circumstances, the government educational policy of the new state, the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia) had an impact on the founding of the school. It readily accepted the private initiative of the Osijek iron foundry and machine factory backed up by the Chamber of Crafts and Trade, the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the Osijek region and the town of Osijek itself. Dr. Korenić, the head of the instruction department in the Ministry of Trade and Industry, emphasized that: “the state does not have the funds by itself such a state vocational school in this region and by all means accepts this mode which will enable the establishment of the much needed trade school.”
On June 11, 1929, a decision of the same Ministry approved the founding of a vocational trade school within the foundry of Osijek. The school would provide training in the following crafts: carpentry, locksmithing, woodturning, lathe operating, casting iron and metals and electrical engineering. For the needs of the school a separate building was erected within the area of the Foundry, and the factory engineers were the instructors of technical subjects while the craft masters were the trained teachers in workshops. The basic aim of this school was the training of these students through theoretical and practical instruction to enable them to become skilled workers, foremen and administrators of crafts and industrial fi rms in the mechanical and electromechanical fields. Practical work was carriedout daily from 7 to 12 in the OLT workshop, and the theoretical classes were in the afternoons. In addition, students were required to carry out a summer trainingship. The schooling lasted for four years and after taking the final examination before a State Board of Examiners, a master craftsman’s certifi cate was obtained. The Foundry provided the necessary school supplies and textbooks. The students were accommodated in the Nautical Center, which was erected in the same period and financed from funds of the Chamber and firms in Osijek. Since its opening in 1930, the trade school operated continually until 1945. In 1942 it changed its name to the State Trade School for Men, though it
was financed in the same manner as before. After the end of the Second World War, with the founding of the new state, the FNRJ, there was a renewed growing interest for the opening of vocational schools. A systematic opening of such schools and courses was in cooperation with the district NOO (People’s Committees), which were best acquainted with the conditions and needs of a particular area, as well as with the cooperation with the government and Ministry of Education. In accordance with these intentions, the school system in Osijek was reorganized. In 1947 the State Crafts and Trade School changed its name to the Industrial School and its funding was taken over by the Ministry of Industry and Mining in Zagreb through the NOO in Osijek. At that time, according to the principle of vocational education for qualified workers, two types of schools existed: an industrial school and a school for apprentice students. They were completely equal to other schools, and the emphasis was placed on practical work. They enabled the students to integrate into the economy but they also gave the opportunity for further education in post–secondary schools and colleges. The Osijek Industrial School was a budget institution, but the workshop of this school financed itself through the billing of student labor and carried out services. From 1956. within the framework of this school, a department for garage mechanics and fine mechanics was set up. In 1958, in accordance with the legal provisions for education, the school changed its name to the School of Metal Processing with Practical Training. At the same time in Osijek, there was the School for Apprentice Students, earlier called the Apprentice School. This school also educated students of metal and elctro trades, and the basic diff erence was that the students carried out their trainingship in firms in Osijek. The school was also financed through the district NOO and it is significant to point out that the school goers of that school found jobs far more easily than those attending the industrial school. The firms didn’t have confidence in practical work carried out within the framework of a school workshop. In addition to the mentioned schools, from 1946 the Technical School was in operation in the town. Those attending the school had more theoretical classes and only four hours per week of practical work. Ideas on the need of creating larger secondary school centers were maturing in the 60’s, and in accordance to this, in 1963 there was the merging of the Technical Secondary School, the School of Metal Processing with Practical Training and the School for Apprentice Students into the Metal School Center for the vocational
education of metalworkers. This school changed its name again in 1968 into Electro metal School Center, EMŠC. In 1976/77, the Center broadened its activities to the education of students in the field of transportation and begins with the operating of the EMŠC Automobile School. After the founding of the new Croatian school in 1992, the center has reorganized into two separate schools. The Technical School of Engineering caries on the long tradition of 115 years of schooling in the engineering field in the town of Osijek by educating and enabling the young people for all challenges in the 21st century.
Ključne riječi
Hrčak ID:
334754
URI
Datum izdavanja:
31.12.2003.
Posjeta: 407 *