SUPPLEMENTARY TEACHING IN THE SERBIAN LANGUAGE ABROAD: PROBLEMS AND EXPERIENCES

Due to the large number of Serbian emigrants abroad, the topic of supplementary teaching in the Serbian language in the diaspora is becoming a strategic issue of national education. Because of its particularity and complexity, a number of questions arise regarding planning, organisation, implementation, and teaching content, while, on the other hand, a small number of scholars are dealing with this topic. This paper discusses problems and experiences based on five years of work (from the school year 2018/2019 to the school year 2022/2023) in supplementary teaching in the Serbian language in the cities of Vicenza, Arzignano, Valdagno and Bassano del Grappa in the Republic of Italy. In addition to the organisation of teaching, its coverage by the Education Strategy until 2030, as well as the Action Plan for the period from 2023 to 2026, the applicability of textbooks and the existing curriculum, electronic databases of teaching content are analysed. Attention is drawn to the important role of parents in supplementary school, the problem of the status of teachers in the diaspora and pedagogical documentation. The aim of the paper is to shed light on the complexity and specificity of supplementary teaching abroad in order to solve existing problems and to make suggestions for its improvement.