12.04.2019.
Round Table on Security Culture in High Schools
A round table titled “Security culture in high school education system” was held at the Faculty of Security Studies with the participation of representatives of the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, professors of the Faculty of Security Studies and Geographical Institute “Jovan Cvijić” of SANU.
Highlighting in his greeting address that reintroduction of the content relating to defence and security in high schools after more than twenty year break was quite justified and necessary, Prof Vladimir Cvetković, Dean of the Faculty of Security Studies, stressed that it was a precondition to raise the level of security culture in our society.
- The time has come in our society, and our state, to raise the level of security culture. In that respect, the initiative of the Ministry of Defence was enthusiastically welcomed not only by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, which is naturally responsible for the realisation of the project, but of the overall scientific and broader public – Dr Cvetković said and added that we would thus give a concrete contribution to safeguarding national interests of the Republic of Serbia, defined in a draft Strategy of National Security, particularly those referring to raising the level of patriotic awareness, defence and protection of the fatherland in peace, war and emergencies.Presenting everything that the Ministry of Defence has done up till now on the realisation of the initiative and project for reintroduction of the content relating to defence and security in high schools, Colonel Dragan Kotarlić, Head of Department for Obligations of Defence said that, after a series of public debates, line and interline working meetings, the public was offered a solution where a dozen topics would be taught during class teaching, while the practical segment of education can be conducted through static displays and open door days in the units of the Serbian Armed Forces “which have been extremely well welcomed by the public, among younger generation in particular, which is in the focus of the initiated project”.
- Training of citizens is a part of a unique process of defence subjects’ training and it makes an integral part of the preparations of the society for their functioning in emergencies and war. However, teaching content to be taught in schools does not encompass only the training for functioning in those situations and familiarisation with present security challenges and threats, but it has to enable better familiarisation of the senior year students with military profession, missions and tasks of the Serbian Armed Forces, and with duties of every citizen when it comes to defending the country – Colonel Kotlarić said, stressing that the experiences gained in more than 400 high schools where the envisaged content had already been taught, were extremely positive and encouraging.At the round table, which was organised by the Faculty of Security Studies as a mediator of a public dialogue on security culture in high schools, topics under discussion were introduction of training on defence and civil protection in high schools, contemporary security challenges, risks and threats and significance of education about natural and other disasters in the system of high school education. It was pointed out that the end goal should be the introduction of a suitable subject in high schools, and until the realisation of that goal, to use the existing possibilities so that the content and topics in the field of security and defence could reach the ones who needed it and who were the future of evеry society, meaning the young educated people.
