The Ministry of Education and Culture agrees that combining social studies and history subjects has not been successful

From the next school year, history and social studies will be taught as separate subjects in secondary schools, according to the amendments to the regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers, submitted for harmonization by the Ministry of Education and Science (IZM).

Currently, both subjects are combined in one optimal level study course “History and Social Sciences I”, combining ethics, religion, politics, philosophy, law, economics and history. Completion of the course is a prerequisite for further study of the in-depth courses “History II” and “Social Sciences II”.

However, this arrangement has caused the dissatisfaction of the Association of History and Social Studies Teachers. In its opinion, such a merging of sciences “has created a series of problems”.

The Ministry of Education and Culture agrees that combining the two subjects has not been successful. During the implementation process of the course, it was found that the content of history is not defined specifically enough and does not clearly define the historical processes and events in which the learner should orientate, says the draft amendment. The Ministry of Education and Culture also recognizes that due to the different areas, each of them is considered superficially, without creating an understanding of certain processes, their causal relationship and interrelationships.

For those students who will have started to learn the basic course “History and Social Sciences I” by September 1, the educational institution will still have to ensure its full learning in the next academic year.

Last October, the Minister of Education and Science, Anda Čakša (JV), along with experts from the Ministry and the State Education Content Center (VISC), agreed with the Association of History and Social Science Teachers that from next year, history should be taught as a separate subject in the 10th-11th grades.