Transcript History teaching in Republic of Macedonia

History Teaching in the
Republic of Macedonia
Igor Jurukov, History Teacher
Official Educational System in the
Republic of Macedonia
Primary education
 Secondary education
 University education
 Institute of National History
 Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts
 NGOs

Primary Education
Primary education in the Republic of Macedonia is
obligatory. History teaching is part of this educational
level in two ways: general/combined studies (grades I IV), and as a separate subject (grades V - VIII).
 Pupils between 7 and 10 years learn history within the
subject titled Nature and Society
 Students between 11 and 14 years study History as a
separate subject, 2 hours per week, 72 hours in a year
They are taught about the most important events and
locations of the Macedonian history. Visiting historic
places like Ohrid, Krusevo, Stobi, Heraklea etc., is part of
the curricula.
Secondary Education
Secondary education is not obligatory, but most of the
youth (14-18 years) is part of this educational level.
There are two types of secondary schools:
Secondary schools
General education
(gymnasiums)
Specialised education
(professional degrees)
Secondary Education

Within the general education (gymnasiums) history is
taught for four years, with 2 hours per week (72 in a
year)

Within the specialised education (professional schools)
history is taught only two years, again with 2 hours per
week (72 in a year)
World
History
European
History
History
Teaching
National
History
Balkan
History
Description
History teaching is usually conducted through three types
of instructions:



Regular classes for all students
Supplementary (specialised) classes for advanced
students
Additional classes for students with lower grades
Teaching Methods
Most of the lectures are conveyed in the so called “classical
way” or ex-cathedra, whilst one part is interactive. There
are also instructions held outside of the classrooms.
Interactive Methods
T - Method
Ven's Diagram
History through Pictures and Caricatures
History through Texts
Cluster of Berries Method
I Know, I Learn, I want to Learn
Outside the Classroom
Teaching history outside the classroom can be done in
different ways, but the most common are:
Archaeological
localities
Museums
Historical
monuments
Textbooks
History textbooks dictate and directly influence the history
teaching.
Until 1991, history textbooks were mostly focused on the
world history and onto the so called common history of
the “Yugoslav peoples” giving little attention to the
national histories.
The history of the Communist party glorifying the Socialist
Revolution and the role of Tito was studied to the largest
possible extend.
Textbooks
Since 1991, the history textbooks in the R. Macedonia were
teaching the world history and the Balkan history instead
of the Yugoslav one.
Macedonian national history was provided substantial space
allowing history teachers freedom to study and teach the
so called local history.
The textbooks also included parts of the history of the
ethnic minorities living in R. Macedonia.
Textbooks
In 2005 new textbooks were introduced incorporating the
world, European and Balkan history, as well as
Macedonian national history and to greater extend the
ethnic Albanian history. The textbooks also include to
some degree the histories of other ethnic minorities
living in the R. Macedonia.
The new approach allows teachers to select and combine
the teaching material focusing on different areas of
students’ interest. For example, the total number of
themes present in the history textbook for V grade is 48
and the teachers are obliged to teach only 36 of them.
Conclusion
In the last 14 years, R. Macedonia history teaching went
through a great process of change incorporating new
trends, but also focusing on the needs of the
Macedonian citizens, the events and historic well-known
personalities that might be seen as ‘connectors’ leading
to a new vision of the common Macedonian history.