Pregledni rad
Development of elementary education in the Slavonian Military Border during the 18th and the 19th centuries
Ivančic Marković
Sažetak
The beginnings of organised and mandatory education in the Habsburg Monarchy may be traced to the period of the Enlightened absolutism during Maria Theresa’s reign in the mid-eighteenth century. To be more precise, Maria Theresa and her heir, Joseph II, reigned adhering to the spirit of the Enlightenment, believing that the power and welfare of the ruler depended on the strength and satisfaction of the people. Due to that reason, in 1764 they started opening elementary schools in all parish centres of the Slavonian Military Border. Their goal was to improve the general literacy of the people, ensure better education and culture of the Border inhabitants, with the final purpose of strengthening the state. German was the official language in the schools. The changes and modernisation observable in Slavonia during the Enlightenment period are reflected in literary works of the period. Matija Antun Relković points out the importance of establishing elementary schools in Slavonian villages in his capital work Satir iliti divji čovik.
Following the proposal of the abbot Ignjat Felbiger, the so-called General School Ordinance (“Allgemeine Schulordnung”) was introduced in 1774, establishing a three-level education system. It served as the basis for founding of the so-called trivial, main and normal schools differing in the schooling program and in the required length of schooling.
Joseph II continued the systematic implementation of education policy, paying attention solely to elementary education in the case of the Border inhabitants, while high school education was primarily intended for rich urban population and noblemen. The main purpose of attending schools was to learn German language, the official language of the Military Border administration. During the 19th century schooling and educational system became more liberal. The Border inhabitants started grasping the importance of education, so they encouraged the opening of new schools financing them with their own resources. Such schools were called vernacular or elementary. Besides primary schools, teacher training schools and a secondary school (gymnasium, grammar school), the Slavonian Military Border saw the opening of regimental schools for the purpose of military schooling, as well as the courses for serving in the Border administrative service.
Ban (viceroy) Ivan Mažuranić gave Croatian and Slavonian education system a new look. He introduced the mandatory four year education for boys and girls in 1874. The difference between schools in villages and towns was erased, as well as the difference between trivial and main schools. All students should be equally educated regardless of the place where they attended the school. The classes were held in Croatian language. Mažuranić’s reform marked the beginning of a long process of development of modern and equal civil society, in which process the education system played an important role.
Ključne riječi
education; schools; reform; law; modernisation; Slavonian Military Border; 18th and 19th centuries
Hrčak ID:
78165
URI
Datum izdavanja:
3.10.2011.
Posjeta: 3.023 *