Comenius in Serbian schools

Abstract

Jan Amos Komenský was one of the most influential educators of 17th century Europe. As the bearer of the pedagogy of the new century, he influenced changes in pedagogical thought and education with his ideas and writings, and as one of the founders of pedagogy as a science, he was a role model for young educators. Throughout his rich career he insisted on teaching in the mother tongue and that schooling should not only be an educational institution but also one that fosters the moral character and spirit of the individual. He believed that learning should be fun and that in the process students should gradually progress from simple and basic concepts to complex ones. This greatest reformer in the history of education introduced a subject-oriented school system and insisted on lifelong learning. The aim of this paper is to show the place and role of Jan Amos Komenský in Serbian pedagogy in the late 19th century and the first half of the 20th century and to present the methods that were applied in the work of Serbian schools during this period.