Nastava istorije kao predvojnička obuka
Does Serbian History Curriculum Prepare Pupils And Students For War?

Summary/Abstract: Serbian history curriculum and lessons have more in common with military prep schools than with academic discipline that should foster critical and analytical thinking. Teaching history boils down to mere memorization of facts, reinforcing the authoritarian model of education: teachers and textbooks offer “the truth” that ought to be taken for granted. Textbooks are often apodictic, because they aim to represent their contents as unquestionable facts and interpretations. Even the most controversial events from the past come down to simple sentences leaving no room for questioning (for example, ”The first Balkan war was liberation war. The second Balkan war was unjust.“). Content analysis shows that history textbooks are based on the warrior morality and ethics: to sacrifice life for one’s homeland is the greatest achievement, whereas being passive and inactive is considered to be an ideal form of political behavior. Frequent quotes from epic poetry are used to maintain and reinforce the way of thinking specific to the nineteenth century; these quotes serve to emphasize aims and wishes of the collective instead of individual. History curriculum and lessons provide space for producing and spreading authoritarian way of thinking, ethnonationalism, xenophobia, and picture of the past in which “we” are represented as victims of all neighboring countries and powerful nations.

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