Montenegro textbook controversy sparks outcry over omission of Serbs

A controversy has emerged in Montenegro regarding a new fifth-grade social studies textbook, ‘Poznavanje društva’, which reportedly omits Serbs from its sections on nations and minorities.

Miloš Vučević, an advisor to the President of Serbia for regional issues, criticized the publication as a “shameful move” intended to teach Serbian children that they are not Serbs. He stated that the textbook attempts to falsify the reality that approximately 33 percent of Montenegro's population identifies as Serbian, and accused the Montenegrin authorities of attacking Serbian cultural and spiritual identity.

Vladimir Dobričanin, a former MP and official of United Montenegro, also raised alarms, noting that while the book lists various national minorities, Serbs are entirely absent. Dobričanin questioned whether this omission is an attempt to erase the Serbian identity from the consciousness of the younger generation, given that a significant portion of students identify as Serbs. He called on the Montenegrin Ministry of Education to address these “historical and social falsifications.”