ZAGREB, 20 January 2021 - For the first time since the formation of Croatian minority classes at the secondary school level 14 years ago, Serbia has provided textbooks in the Croatian language, which are in accordance with the curriculum, Croatian media outlets in Vojvodina said on Wednesday.
Students in the first grade of Subotica Secondary School were the first to receive the textbooks, translated from Serbian into Croatian by Croatian teachers in Vojvodina.
"They are the 14th generation of secondary school students to attend classes in Croatian and they are the first to have textbooks in their mother tongue which are in line with the current curriculum," Margareta Uršal, member of the Croatian National Council in charge of education, said at the handover ceremony.
Teachers and students said that until now they have used textbooks from Croatia which did not completely match the curriculum of Serbia's education ministry, because of which they had to translate textbooks themselves, prepare presentations and improvise.
The new textbooks can also be used by students of vocational secondary schools, Uršal added.
She said that this generation would also have textbooks in the coming years and that as of last year textbooks had been provided for all pupils in Croatian classes in primary schools.
About 500 students attend education in their mother tongue each year, which is available in five primary and three secondary schools in Subotica and one primary school in Bački Monoštor.
