Page 144 - Šolsko polje, XXX, 2019, št. 5-6: Civic, citizenship and rhetorical education in a rapidly changing world, eds. Janja Žmavc and Plamen Mirazchiyski
P. 144
šolsko polje, letnik xxx, številka 5–6
land than those who were not so handy with words. This is just a specula-
tion, there is no historical evidence to support it.
Why is this anecdote important, even today? Because it shows that
speech, organized and structured speech, in the right moment and in the
right place, is not meant just to please the ears in poetry and drama, but
can have economic and political force to change things. Syracusans got
their land back just by speaking, and today, we all know about the enor-
mous force (well structured) speech had in Athenian democracy. Vir bo-
nus dicendi peritus (Quint. Inst. 12.1.1), though the phrase appeared much
later, was the order of the day.
Slovenian National Assembly on Rhetoric
Which brings us to the Slovenian situation and to the rather bizarre sto-
ry about rhetoric becoming a compulsory elective subject in Slovenian pri-
mary schools (compulsory elective means that all primary schools have to
offer it; there are 454 of them in Slovenia). Here is the story.
Soon after the Slovenian independence in 1991, discussions start-
ed about the reform of the educational system. The findings and the pro-
posed direction(s) of reforms were published in the White Paper on Edu-
cation in the Republic of Slovenia in 1995.
During sometimes rather heated debates in the National Assembly,
the problem of religious education came up. Some of the parties advocated
the introduction of religious education into schools (like Christian Dem-
ocrats), some of them did not (like Liberal Democrats). In one of these de-
bates, a representative of Liberal Democrats came to the speaker stage and
said (the quotation is approximate, there are no reliable written records):
What we Slovenians need, now that Slovenia is independent, is not reli-
gious education in schools. What we need, what our children need is to
learn how to speak properly, we need rhetoric. Therefore, I propose a mo-
tion that rhetoric become a subject in the new curriculum, not religious
education.
The motion was put to the vote and to general surprise, rhetoric was
voted as a new, compulsory elective subject in the new curriculum.
You should know that Slovenia holds a world record in the num-
ber of so-called rhetorical schools per capita. Almost everybody has them,
from the Chamber of Commerce to religious orders to industrious in-
dividuals that want to earn some easy money. These schools promise to
teach you the basics of logic, rhetoric and argumentation in just 4 hours.
Or, they promise you, how to dress appropriately for different occasions,
how to use cutlery, when and how to blow your nose in public, even how
142
land than those who were not so handy with words. This is just a specula-
tion, there is no historical evidence to support it.
Why is this anecdote important, even today? Because it shows that
speech, organized and structured speech, in the right moment and in the
right place, is not meant just to please the ears in poetry and drama, but
can have economic and political force to change things. Syracusans got
their land back just by speaking, and today, we all know about the enor-
mous force (well structured) speech had in Athenian democracy. Vir bo-
nus dicendi peritus (Quint. Inst. 12.1.1), though the phrase appeared much
later, was the order of the day.
Slovenian National Assembly on Rhetoric
Which brings us to the Slovenian situation and to the rather bizarre sto-
ry about rhetoric becoming a compulsory elective subject in Slovenian pri-
mary schools (compulsory elective means that all primary schools have to
offer it; there are 454 of them in Slovenia). Here is the story.
Soon after the Slovenian independence in 1991, discussions start-
ed about the reform of the educational system. The findings and the pro-
posed direction(s) of reforms were published in the White Paper on Edu-
cation in the Republic of Slovenia in 1995.
During sometimes rather heated debates in the National Assembly,
the problem of religious education came up. Some of the parties advocated
the introduction of religious education into schools (like Christian Dem-
ocrats), some of them did not (like Liberal Democrats). In one of these de-
bates, a representative of Liberal Democrats came to the speaker stage and
said (the quotation is approximate, there are no reliable written records):
What we Slovenians need, now that Slovenia is independent, is not reli-
gious education in schools. What we need, what our children need is to
learn how to speak properly, we need rhetoric. Therefore, I propose a mo-
tion that rhetoric become a subject in the new curriculum, not religious
education.
The motion was put to the vote and to general surprise, rhetoric was
voted as a new, compulsory elective subject in the new curriculum.
You should know that Slovenia holds a world record in the num-
ber of so-called rhetorical schools per capita. Almost everybody has them,
from the Chamber of Commerce to religious orders to industrious in-
dividuals that want to earn some easy money. These schools promise to
teach you the basics of logic, rhetoric and argumentation in just 4 hours.
Or, they promise you, how to dress appropriately for different occasions,
how to use cutlery, when and how to blow your nose in public, even how
142
