Prizadevanja slovenskih izseljencev za predajo materinščine svojim potomcem v deželi pod južnim križem

Slovene emigrants in Argentina before the Second World War made efforts, after arrivingin South America, to ensure the survival of their mother tongue among their offspring. In 1933 they began setting up Slovene school courses; this year sees the 65th anniversary of this important decision by the Argentine Slovenes. Post-war Slovene emigrants also continued to organize education in the mother tongue after their arrival in Argentina. By the second half of 1948 Slovene school courses had begun; this year they are celebrating their 50th anniversary. Initially the courses were organized on a modest scale; it was only after the building of local Slovene national centres that these efforts were able to develop to the point where they included 80 per cent of the children from post-war Slovene immigrant families.Ko so slovenski predvojni in povojni izseljenci v Argentini vsaj za silo uredili življenjske razmere v novi deželi, so takoj začeli ustanavljati slovenske šolske tečaje in na ta način skrbeli za predajo slovenske besede svojim potomcem. Premagati so morali marsikatere težave, a so vztrajali do naših dni. Mislili so tudi na ustanovitev slovenskih šol s pravico javnosti a niso uspeli. Sedaj predvojni izseljenci že 65 let vztrajajo pri poučevanju slovenščine v šolskem tečaju, gre za četrto generacijo, povojni izseljenci pa 50 let v devetih tečajih za otroke tretje generacije