A joint declaration of Republika Srpska and Serbia about the survival of the Serb people is one of the most significant documents which needs to be adopted because it has to emphasise the national identity criteria, including the language and script, linguist Milos Kovacevic told Srna.
Kovacevic pointed out it would be impossible to discuss the unity of Serbs if there were no common identity national criteria.
“During the elaboration of such different criteria, which also include the parallel relations between Republika Srpska and Serbia, the most important thing is what is presumed under the unity of the Serb cultural and scientific area, and that is the equalisation of curricula for national disciplines, such as the Serbian language and literature,” said Kovacevic.
According to him, the declaration should state the major aspects encompassed by the document with the purpose of preserving the national identity and unity.
He adds that the Cyrillic script is the most vulnerable now, and that the declaration should emphasise the unity in the form of a bill or law on the language and script.
“If the language and script are not single in the entire area inhabited by the Serbs, then we cannot talk about a single cultural area or a single education system either,” claims Kovacevic.
He welcomes the activities launched to harmonise the curricula in primary and elementary schools in Republika Srpska and Serbia, adding that single curricula for national disciplines should also be instituted in the universities.
Director of the Srpska Education Institute Predrag Damjanovic pointed out that in cooperation with the Serbian Institute for the Improvement of Education they prepared the lessons for the Serbian language and literature, history, geography, and nature and society dealing with the protection of national interests of the Serbs.
“In Republika Srpska, the nine-year primary education is based on learning outcomes, while in Serbia they have eight-year primary education and they are getting ready to modernise their curricula. Another difference is that Serbia has defined the standards for all curricula while we are yet to do that in Srpska,” said Damjanovic.
Ninety per cent of the content related to the protection of the Serb national interests has already been harmonised, he said.
“The Srpska Institute is prepared to do its job and make the harmonised curricula applicable from September. In addition, we have a few more areas to work on such as the cooperation in raising the quality of education by instituting the primary school final exam as an obligation in Serbia and as an experiment in Republika Srpska,” said Damjanovic.
Last week, a topical session of the Committee on Education, Science, Culture and Information of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska and the Committee on Education, Science, Technological Development and Information Society of the National Assembly of Serbia took place in Banjaluka.
Chair of the Srpska committee Danijela Mrda noted that the two committees were working to improve education and technological development and preserve and nurture the cultural and historical heritage in Srpska and Serbia.
The curricular overlap for the most part and having them harmonised is a legitimate right of the people, when it comes to historic facts and national group of subjects, she said.
“There is no need for any intentional feelings which have lately appeared or opinions that this could jeopardise any historical or any other views about the events in our parts. No matter where they come from, whether from Srpska or Serbia, our generations should nurture their historical and cultural heritage,” said Mrda.
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Source: N1
