Figure 1.--Here we have a Yugoslav school class. Thanks to the boys we know it was a First Grade class taken in 1951-52. We believe it was Croatian because it came from a Croatian dealer. It was an all-boys' claass which was common in Yugoslavia before the War, but the Communists would change soon after. The boys all wear short pants, except two boys who look to be wearing rompers. One boy wears the colored nckrchief common in Communist schools.

Tito's Communist Partisans seized control of the country af the end of the War. Croatia was returned to Yugoslavia after the War. Educational policy was for the first time set at the national or federal level rather than the state level. The Yugoslav system became highly centralized. Croatia had a different historical experience than Serbia. We are not sure the differences affected schools in Croatia. Communist countries generally placed considerable emphasis on education although there was considerable indoctrination rather than instruction. Communist authorities mandated a 7-year compulsory primry system (1945). This was increased to 8 years (1958). It applied to all children aged 7-15 yeatrs oif age. Yugoslavia was a union of the southern Slavs, including several national groups (Albanians (Kosovars), Croats, Macedonians, Slovenes, Serbs, and others. Ethnic-national disputes occured from the very foundation of Yusoslavia arond the Serbian kingdom. These conflicts surfaced with virulent intensity during World War II. Tito ruthlessly supressed the expression of nationalist sentiment. The underlying sentiment continued, but they were just not verbalized or acted on. After Tito's death and the subsequent disentegration of Yugoslavia, these ethnic issues surfaced. .

Created: 5:30 AM 9/18/2017
Last updated: 5:30 AM 9/18/2017