Here we go, folks, another educational spectacle in Serbia! The Ministry of Education has finally started delivering textbooks for national minorities. Yes, you read that right – for national minorities! These include languages like Hungarian, Romanian, Rusyn, Croatian, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Slovak, and Albanian. Around 28,000 elementary school students will receive these textbooks because, of course, education in one’s mother tongue is a fundamental right of national minorities, guaranteed by the Serbian Constitution. But is this really enough, or just another empty story?
The Ministry isn’t stopping there – the distribution of free textbooks also extends to students from socially vulnerable families, children with developmental disabilities, disabilities, and those with exceptional abilities. Kudos for inclusivity, but is it enough to truly change the state of education?
While we’re patting ourselves on the back for this move, let’s remember that education in the mother tongue is a right, not a privilege. Will these textbooks arrive on time and in sufficient quantities? Will teachers have the support to use them? Or will it all remain on paper, like so many other nice ideas?
Either way, this is a chance to ask – how much does Serbia really care about its national minorities and their education? Or is this just another PR stunt? Drop your thoughts – is this an educational boom or just another empty story? Maybe it’s time we all raise some noise and demand answers!
