The second seminar of the teaching staff of Prosvjeta’s Serbian supplementary schools in Austria was held on 4 March 2023 at the Liefering Cultural Pavilion in Salzburg. The founder and head of the Prosvjeta Schools, prof. Srđan Mijalković, prepared and conducted the seminar with a Prosvjeta team.

In addition to Vienna and Salzburg, the teaching staff came from Linz, Graz, Wels, Gmunden, Braunau, Wiener Neustadt, Steyr and Enns, Kufstein and Bregenz, Feldkirch, Innsbruck, Fügen, as well as from the schools being established in Spittal, Villach, Klagenfurt and Saalfelden.

Prof. Srđan Mijalković opened the seminar by thanking all those present and pointing out that the efforts made by all the teachers and members of the Prosvjeta team to make the network of supplementary Serbian language schools in Austria come to life and survive were of historical importance for the entire Serbian community both in Austria and the motherland.

The seminar was graced by the address of Father Dragan Erić, the elder of the Church of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin in Salzburg.

A professional lecture was prepared by Milana Rakić, master professor of language and literature, who taught in supplementary schools from 2015 to 2020, by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Serbia, in the German Federal Province of Baden-Württemberg, and then and in Berlin. The professional lecture discussed Methodical approaches to teaching Serbian as mother tongue abroad – Working with mixed groups. She said that holding classes and teaching the mother tongue was of national importance, regardless of the country in which it took place.

Finally, the textbooks donated by the Directorate for Cooperation with the Diaspora and Serbs in the Region were distributed, with deep gratitude expressed by all the teachers.

In his final speech, Srđan Mijalković commended heartily the past and future efforts of all the teachers, reminded that Prosvjeta’s Serbian schools were important primarily for our children, but also because they operated throughout Austria and showed that harmony, wisdom and hard work brought good results and that it was the best example for all Serbs in this country that it was possible to be united and change things for the better and for the common benefit. He also announced autumn celebration of the tenth anniversary of the establishment of the first schools. He also thanked the hosts from Salzburg, Milan Dragić and Miodrag Zdravković, as well as Serbian Ambassador in Austria, Nebojša Rodić, and especially Bishop Andrej and clergy from all over Austria.

Source and photo: Prosvjeta Serbian Educational and Cultural Association Austria