Every year, part of the excursion of the Association of Slovenians Triglav is also the visit by pupils and students to their peers in Slovenia. Pupils, attending supply teaching lessons of Slovenian visited their peers in Elementary School bratov Polančičev, and students their peers in First Grammar School Maribor.
On Sunday, 9 April, adults, youth and children drove to Slovenia. Interest in the excursion was so high that we needed a double decker bus. There were 13 pupils, 14 students and 33 adults. Beside the members of the Association Triglav there were also participants from Teslić and a pupil from Novi Grad. On Sunday, we admired the sights of Podčetrtek, while in the evening we arrived in Maribor and pupils and students went to their peers’.
On Monday and Tuesday morning the pupils and students attended lessons in school, and spent the afternoon with host families. They experienced many interesting things and were in contact with Slovenian all the time. Excursion is often a motivation for attending supply teaching lessons of Slovenian. Education Institute of the Republic of Slovenia supports such activities as they know how important it is for the youth to have the possibility to test their knowledge in communication with their peers. This was not a one-off visit but exchange of pupils and students because people from Maribor will come to Banja Luka in autumn.
Visit to Elementary School bratov Polančičev was prepared by psychologist Darko Hederih, who has cooperated with the Association of Slovenians Triglav for quite some time. Without the support by principal Brigita Smogavec the exchange of pupils and students could not be organised. Visit to First Grammar School was prepared by principal Herman Pušnik and teacher Miha Debenak. Members of the Associations visited both schools and thanked for the hospitality. In the First Grammar School we attended a very interesting play »Animal Comedy« that the students prepared together with the mentor of Theatre School of First Grammar School Maribor Barbara Jamšek.
The youth were full of impressions on their way home. Modern media enable to maintain the newly-established connections. Those who will continue their studies in Slovenia may ask their acquaintances for information and exactly this is the reason why the exchange of pupils and students often makes a step into new life much easier.
Barbara Hanuš