Since the time of the heroes of “Under the Yoke” with the celebrations and the examination of the whole village and the whole town to this day, very little has changed in the pleasant sight, in the tenderness of what we call the first day of school”. This was commented by the historian Prof. Petar Stojanovic to BBC.
„It's the bell, the boy who rings it, the beautifully dressed elementary school teachers. The children who don't know whether to throw themselves into the ditch in terror – to kiss their mother for the last time, or to follow the teacher. There's something very nice about it, I'm really glad, he commented.
„I remember generations of my family returning with puffy eyes from sending another grandson or granddaughter to first grade – every other family probably has this. The revival part is really wonderful. In very few places in the world, in this indirect way of the 19th century, sending young people who go on the path of science and knowledge“, commented Prof. Stojanovic.
According to him, however, the big question is whether this is the way in 2024 – when almost 1/3 of the 21st century has already passed and people are being sent to Mars, let's understand our relationship with this education.
„Shouldn't it be much more down-to-earth, much more direct, without great fanfare and without what the headmistress of another school, choked with excitement and desire to perform, speaks into a microphone that can be heard throughout the square . The physical education teacher has finally managed to be the commandant of something, commented Prof. Stojanovic.
„I am interested in where is the quality and where is the realistic relationship with what education should bring us. It is not aimed primarily at endearing the grandmothers and bringing emotional connections between the school in the parent composition. In the Netherlands, the concept of the first day of school and the sending of first-graders is unknown, the historian pointed out.
According to him, the results show that we are perfect in form and are “far from ideal in content”, and children work according to schemes that make them insufficiently literate.
Prof. Stojanovic also commented on the results of the PISA tests.
“These students seem to be caught in a shoot – in ignorance according to some official criteria that were imposed on them at some point. And imagine what the real picture is – it's like going to a military unit and seeing that the first row is spread out and half of them have their legs and shoes hanging. And imagine in hindsight what it is," commented the historian.
„We all see it, but we prefer to close our eyes and say “Our school is holy”. The Bulgarian school is not a church. It must be adapted to our times in every way, he said.
According to him, discipline is not imposed by the school, but it reflects the moral values of society.
„Our borders have been reduced to an almost complete refusal to comply with any rules”, pointed out Prof. Stoyanovi.
According to him, we have turned our freedom into freedom and become absurd.
„Until 1989, we were largely tied to a stake by being untied – as they say in the Bulgarian village – “to head off”, the moment the calf leaves the chain, it starts throwing pieces and running around the meadow while it plays and watches when its mother will come to feed it. We are still in the phase between the big game and not knowing how to continue”, Prof. Stojanovic pointed out and added that there is no fear that harsher rules will return.