THE ROLE OF MEKTEB IN HISTORY OF THE BOSNIAC EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

ULOGA MEKTEBA U HISTORIJI OBRAZOVNOG SISTEMA BOŠNJAKA

Abstract

The emergence of mekteb (maktab) in Bosnia and Herzegovina is related to arrival of Islam. Mekteb, mejtef or mehtef, as it was differently called in various parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, served as Muslim elementary school during the Ottoman rule in these parts. For a long time it provided the only type of elementary education for majority of Muslim children, especially the poorer ones, and to that end it also offered general school subjects and not just the religious ones. As social environment changed, so did mekteb both in terms of its form and its role within the educational system. After five centuries of active service in the field of education of Muslim population of Bosnia and Herzegovina, mekteb was banned in 1952 and its role was partially taken over by mosques. In terms of etymology, a word mekteb is of Arabic origin and it means a place for writing, a writing desk or an office. However, Arabic speakers instead use a word kuttub to denote the same meaning and very rarely use the word mekteb.