New Orientation of Slovene Teachers in 1926. The Celje Declaration on the Depoliticisation of the Teachers' Professional Organisation

Abstract

On the basis of newspaper sources (Učiteljski tovariš, Slovenski učitelj, Edinstvo) and archive materials of the teachers' association, the author presents the depoliticisation of the teachers' organisation Association of Yugoslav Teachers (Udruženje jugoslovanskega učiteljstva, hereinafter UJU) and the restored unity of the professional and trade union alliance of teachers in Slovenia. Initially the Association of Slovenian Teachers' Societies (Zaveza slovenskih učiteljskih društev, 1889) brought together all of the primary school teachers; however, towards the end of the 19th century, this teachers' professional organisation became distinctively liberally oriented in the political sense, thus the teachers of Catholic persuasion established their own association (Slomšek's Association / Slomškova zveza, 1900-1926). The politicisation of teachers served both main political parties, but not the teachers. The depoliticisation of the majority Slovenian teachers' organisation (UJU, the Ljubljana jurisdiction) succeeded as late as in 1926 thanks to the efforts of teachers from the Koroška and Štajerska regions, when in July 1926 the Declaration on Depoliticisation was adopted in Celje on their initiative. This Declaration allowed for the teachers of various ideological and political orientations to join the UJU teachers' associations. Teachers of Catholic persuasion joined the association, so in the end of 1926 the dual nature of the Slovenian teachers' professional associations came to an end.