Physics in Croatian Elementary Schools at the End of the Nineteenth Century

Suvremeno se društvo ne može pravo razumjeti bez obraćanja pozornosti na fiziku kao sastavnicu materijalne i duhovne kulture, a društvenu ulogu i položaj fizike pak nije moguće ispravno razumjeti bez povijesne analize. U tom se duhu ovim radom nastoji doprinijeti razumijevanju razvoja fizike kao elementa opće kulture hrvatskoga društva. U radu se razmatraju promjene statusa fizike u javnim općim ili nižim pučkim školama kraljevinâ Hrvatske i Slavonije od kraja apsolutizma, kad su brigu o organiziranju hrvatskoga školstva i upravljanju njime preuzele hrvatske zakonodavne i izvršne vlasti, do kraja XIX. stoljeća, pri čemu je prije raspravljeni položaj fizike krajem apsolutizma odabran kao „početno stanje“ u odnosu na koje se procjenjuju promjene koje su uslijedile. Prosudba promjena položaja fizike je izvedena na temelju raščlambe bitnih sastavnica sustava osnovnoga školstva, u kojima se zrcali status svakog u njega uključenoga elementa izobrazbe: a) ustroja i ciljeva pučke škole (definiranih naredbom Systema scholarum elementarium od 1845. i naredbama iz doba apsolutizma te školskim zakonima od 1874. i 1888.) ; b) nastavnih planova i programa (propisanih naredbama od 1855., 1858., 1866., 1875., 1890. i 1895.) te c) propisanih udžbenika („slovničke čitanke“ korištene od 1861. do 1879., „zagrebačke čitanke“ korištene od 1880. do 1894. te čitanke sastavljene prema minimalnom nastavnom programu i korištene od 1895. do 1905.). Premda je izobrazba učitelja i učiteljica svakako bitno utjecala na položaj fizike u pučkoj školi, rasprava o tom aspektu statusa fizike se zbog opsežnosti materijala morala izostaviti iz ovoga rada, no unatoč tome se i u tako nepotpunoj slici može uočiti da je učiteljstvo tijekom čitavoga razmotrenoga razdoblja zagovaralo uključivanje obilnoga gradiva fizike u pučkoškolsku nastavu. Potanko je raspravljen utjecaj značajki svake od spomenutih sastavnica na položaj fizike u pučkoj školi, a analiza pokazuje da se je do 1880. položaj fizike bitno poboljšao u odnosu na stanje definirano tijekom apsolutizma, napose u doba vlade bana Mažuranića, da bi se nakon 1890., u doba vlade bana Khuena, počeo postupno pogoršavati, tako da se je krajem stoljeća, unatoč svim promjenama u politici, gospodarstvu i znanosti, fizika opet našla na mjestu na kojem je bila krajem apsolutizma.Contemporary society cannot be really understood without paying attention to physics as an element of material and spiritual culture, and conversely the social role and position of physics cannot be properly understood without historical analysis. In that spirit, this article tries to contribute to an understanding of physics as an element of the general culture of Croatian society. The article discusses changes in the status of physics in the public elementary schools of the Kingdom of Croatia and Slavonia from the end of the period of absolutism, when care over organising the Croatian school system and the administration of it was taken over by Croatian legislative and executive authorities, to the end of the nineteenth century, wherein the position of physics at the end of absolutism is considered as an “initial state” relative to which the changes that followed are measured. The assessment of changes in the position of physics is derived on the basis of analysis of essential elements of the elementary school system, which mirrored the status of every element of education included in it: a) the system and aims of elementary schools (defined by the decree Systema scholarum elementarium of 1845 and regulations from the period of absolutism and school laws of 1874 and 1888); b) curricula (prescribed by orders of 1855, 1858, 1866, 1875, 1890 and 1895); c) prescribed textbooks (the “slovničke čitanke” [Grammatical textbook] used from 1861 to 1879, the “zagrebačke čitanke” [Zagreb textbook] used from 1880 to 1894, and the textbook compiled on the basis of the minimal curriculum from 1895 to 1905). Although the education of male and female teachers certainly essentially influenced the position of physics in elementary schools, discussion of that aspect of the status of physics had to be left out of discussion because of the extent of materials; however, in spite of that, even such an incomplete picture shows that teachers during the whole period advocated the inclusion of extensive materials from physics in teaching in elementary schools. The influence of the characteristics of each of the elements mentioned above on the position of physics in elementary school is discussed in detail, and analysis shows that the position of physics was essentially improved in relation to the position that was defined during the period of absolutism, particularly in the time of rule of Ban Mažuranić, to start to gradually decline after 1890, in the time of Ban Khuen, which had the result that physics at the end of the century, in spite of all the changes within policy, the economy and science, again held the place that it had held at the end of the period of absolutism