Члан о школству у рукописима млађе редакције Jустинијановог закона
The Article Concerning Elementary School Education in Recent Manuscript Redaction of Iustinian’s Law

Summary/Abstract: Tsar Stephan Dushan’s legislation (14th century) manuscript group copied from 17th until the 19th century belongs to the more recent redaction and contains a variety of differences which separate thеse texts from the ancient manuscript redaction. There are some legal articles whose origin can not be found neither in the ancient manuscript redaction (14th century until 17th century) nor in some other Serbian and Byzantine law compilations. Eight manuscripts from 18th century (copies of the Byzantine-Serbian law compilation known as Iustinian’s Law, part of Tsar Dushan’s legislation) belonging to the same manuscript subgroup contain the article concerning the school system. In the 18th century the Serbian population moving and founding new settlements on the territory of the Habsburg Мonarchy came in closer contact with catholic Europe and its civilization. There the Serbs, accepting sometimes willingly and spontaneous and sometimes unwillingly and with resistance some elements of this new civilization, defended the basis of their orthodox Christianity, ethnical and cultural identity. One of many circumstances which helped improving the status of the Serbs in all social aspects was certainly the education of school children. The significance of the school system was probably the rational cause for writing such an article in Iustinian’s law concerning the necessity of education and thus connecting it to the time of independence of the Serbian state and legal system. The author of this article was inspired by the ideas of his time and hoped that the Serbian community would have a regulated law system of it’s own on it’s new habitat. This article about the school education represents an emotionally touching text on the importance of education, a message for all the members of the Serbian community: parents, relatives and all those socially responsible. In the complicated life conditions in the early 18th century in this small text a plan had been made for the whole elementary school system.

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