Education and training of teachers in Serbia in the second half of the past century

Abstract

The fact that the future of schools and the country depends on the quality of teachers largely indicates the significance and importance of this topic. Volatility of demands placed upon teachers nowadays, with regard to the importance of professional education and training, leads to an ongoing review and attempt to reform these demands. Professional training of teachers tends to display permanence and it is achieved through professional training programmes (mandatory, optional and periodical) prescribed by the Regulations. Mandatory training programme applies to the deployment of new teachers, as well as to the programme for licensing. These programmes are usually organized and implemented on the national level, and the authors and implementers may be groups of experts, universities, Ministry of Education, various associations, professional societies, etc. Optional programmes do not oblige teachers to participate, thematic content is broader and various topics are offered. They provide an opportunity for teachers to be trained according to their personal interests and they enable personal and professional advancement. As for periodical training programmes, in many countries they are based on the specific needs of teachers. Types of teacher training programmes are diverse and are usually divided into conferences and consultations, panel discussions, seminars, courses, expert consultations, research, discussions and workshops. The aim of this paper is to present the education and training of teachers after World War II and to draw a parallel with modern tendencies in this area. The process of professional development of teachers in Serbia started with the establishment of the four-year teacher training schools, through Pedagogical College and the Teacher Education Faculty. Contemporary educational trends, aimed at lifelong learning and the creation of knowledge societies, require the expansion of teachers' competencies in relation to teaching, methodology, psychology, IT, communication, while vocational training is supposed to be performed outside of educational institutions. This training is performed at three levels: national, regional and local.