Tito’s Last Pioneers and the Politicization of Schooling in Yugoslavia

Abstract

The chapter explores childhood experiences in the former Yugoslavia and interrogates the memories of eight years of elementary schooling between 1987 and 1995. Focusing on the so-called last generation of Yugoslav leader Tito’s pioneers, I examine some of my personal experiences of childhood and schooling while connecting and juxtaposing them with the wider socioeconomic and cultural context. The first part of the chapter critically describes daily schooling practices, uniforms, and celebrations in socialist Yugoslavia. The second part is set up against the backdrop of the violent disintegration of Yugoslavia and studies the emerging new practices as well as schoolchildren’s reaction to them, highlighting a shift in politicization processes and their impact on children’s identities.