Seminar Report "Regional Workshop on “Developing new history textbooks” & National Seminar on “Textbooks and Teaching materials: the development and use in the classroom”(Belgrade, Serbia, 4-7 November 2003)

Description

This event report summarises two consecutive events in Belgrade, Serbia, in November 2003 organised by the Council of Europe: a Regional Workshop on "Developing New History Textbooks" (November 4-5) followed by a National Seminar on "Textbooks and Teaching Materials: Development and Classroom Use" (November 6-7). These meetings were interrelated, with most speakers attending both, transitioning from a regional focus (former Yugoslavia) to a specific examination of Serbia's situation. Co-organized by the Council of Europe and the Ministry of Education and Sports of the Republic of Serbia, the Regional Workshop received financial support from the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs to aid history education in South East Europe, particularly in the territories of the former Yugoslavia under the Stability Pact framework. The Regional Workshop took place at Belgrade's Palace Hotel, with participation from 15 attendees representing Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Slovenia, and Serbia. Željko POPOV, Deputy Minister of Education of Serbia, along with Biljana STOJANOVIC from the Ministry of Education and Sports, and Alison CARDWELL, Head of the Council of Europe's History Education Section, welcomed the participants. Deputy Minister POPOV emphasized the significance of the workshop, especially for the former Yugoslavian regions, highlighting Serbia's reform efforts in history education since 2000, including efforts to open up the textbook market. Alison CARDWELL noted that this workshop was the third in a series of regional seminars on history textbooks organized by the Council of Europe, following events in Warsaw (1996) and Sinaia, Romania (2002), which were held within the framework of the Stability Pact. She outlined the Council of Europe's dedication to history education, underpinned by its Recommendation (Rec (2001) 15) on "Teaching History in the 21st Century" and introduced Dr. Robert Stradling's handbook on "Multiperspectivity in History Teaching," emphasizing its translation into languages spoken in the South East European region, making it accessible through the Council of Europe and Ministries of Education.

Keywords

Textbooks

Belgrade

Multiperspectivity

Council of Europe

Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sweden

Regional history

post-Yugoslav space

Regional cooperation

European dimension in history teaching