++ [ originally posted by Zlatan ] ++
Well, I dont know about you, but here there's a standard teaching programe, and the teacher can only change so much.
It was just an example.
Ideological approaches to textbooks and curricula creation
Traditional perception of defining the quality and scope of curriculum content has been retained in Bosnia and Herzegovina as, after all, in the whole former Yugoslavia and central and Eastern Europe. In spite of numerous attempts to carry out educational reforms, especially during the period of communist rule 1945 - 1990, the fundamental postulate has never been challenged. For the sake of truth, it must be said that transitions from one ideological system of education to another, were always gradual as the development level of previous educational systems had not allowed rapid changes. They were especially actual during the period from 1958 to 1987, when it appeared that the reforms were finally brought to an end. As a rule, every time the changes used to be adopted with a presumption that they bring something new and better in relation to the previous situation. Yet, the justification of enlargement of curriculum content scope had never been challenged. They continued to be aimed towards plentiful accumulation of data and facts from several teaching subjects. Such an approach was often justified by the necessity that our students gain a very broad knowledge base and not only a narrow, vocational one. That is where the ideological superiority of the local educational system over the one of capitalistic countries was often shown. It has been claimed that bigger quantity of basic knowledge ensures a better knowledge complement and reorganization within chosen, future profession even into completely different profession profile than the one initially chosen by students. In seventies, such a concept was challenged in a certain extent when the "vocational education" was introduced but, very soon, that large educational experiment failed in practice. One could claim that the major mistake of the approach was a result of the presumption that the communist Yugoslavia would be living a constant progress, comprehensive economic prosperity and almost total employment. On the other side, the changes implemented in the educational system, also had a completely defined ideological background, for the then dominant standpoints on the working class' power based on free work exchange, should have been implemented.