The primary school is one of the most important social institutions in the
village and many useful actions in rural communities are in close connection with
it. The author of this article presents the data on geographical distribution of
primary schools in particular regions of Yugoslavia. The special attention is given
to the history of primary education and literacy in Yugoslav villages: the first
inceptions of literacy were related to the role of church (more of catholic and
orthodox than of islamic church) and her endeavours for the political domination
and control in villages. The state initiative for the establishment of primary education
goes back to the second half of the last and the beginning of this century,
but the real expansion of the primary education started after the last world war.
Taking into account the allembracing net of primary schools at present, it is
interesting to follow the genesis of parents attitudes towards the education of
lheir children. In the past many parents were opposing the idea of necessity of
schooling their own children. The dominating attitude was that for children is
more useful to gain so called working experience and training in operating and
running the farm activities and business, and thus become a new labour force.
With this idea in mind peasants manifested considerable pesimism towards all
walks of life that are not similar to their own. This attitude had very negative consequencies,
particularly on education of the female children. On the other hand
in some regions of the country — particularly in those ones with poor national
resources and more mobile population — the prevailing attitude was, that it is
necessary to give a child the nontraditional and out-of-family education as a good
and safe base for »an entrance into the higher social strata«. According to this
thinking the school is comprehended as ways and means for deserting the village.
For rural regions this usually resulted in a loss of the most vital individuals with
no compensation at all. Here we should look, according to the author, for the
roots of nowdays spread opinion that village is not a suitable environment for
educated people and therefore never happens that educated descendant returns
to his father’s estate to take up agricultural occupation.
After presenting some interesting observations on differencies in the course
of schooling between the rural and the urban children, the author in a very sistematic
way explicates the data on the degree of literacy in particular regions and
within particular social groups in Yugoslavia. On the base of these data, he comes
to the conclusion that a primary school in our rural enviroment has not yet
realized fully its social functions.
Beside its educational function the primary school initiates numerous cultural,
entertaining and sport activities in the village. On the contrary to this, its
influence on economic life in village is of no significance at all. As forms of such
influence the author mentioned school gardens before and school cooperatives
alter the war
