ПРВЕ СТИПЕНДИСТКИЊЕ КРАЉЕВИНЕ СРБИЈЕ У ОБЛАСТИ ПРЕДШКОЛСКОГ ВАСПИТАЊА (1887–1888)
THE FIRST SCHOLARSHIP HOLDERS OF THE KINGDOM OF SERBIA IN THE FIELD OF PRESCHOOL EDUCATION (1887–1888)

Summary/Abstract: In 1887, the Serbian Ministry of Education sent Ljubica Balaicki and Mileva Pfaff to the Froebel Foundation in Dresden to receive formal training in early childhood education. Their mission was to become Serbia’s first professional kindergarten teachers and contribute to developing a qualified preschool teaching workforce. This study examines the broader context that prompted this state initiative, including the institutional status of kindergartens in Serbia and the reception of Friedrich Froebel’s pedagogical philosophy. It traces the path of these two women as state scholars abroad, their studies in Germany, and their return to Serbia, where they were expected to apply their knowledge in practice. Special attention is given to the early stages of institutionalizing preschool education in Serbia and the emerging efforts to educate teachers for this field. By situating Balaicki and Pfaff’s experience within this framework, the paper underscores the significance of their training as a foundation for later developments in preschool education. It highlights the state-supported role of women in pioneering the development of educational policy and early childhood pedagogy in late 19th-century Serbia. The pedagogical knowledge and skills acquired in Dresden represented a significant potential to reframe work in preschool institutions, constrained by scholastic frameworks, on broader pedagogical foundations aligned with the specific developmental characteristics of preschool-aged children.

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