Arab history in history textbooks and curricula in Lithuania
ENThe article reviews how the history of Arab countries is represented in schools of basic education in Lithuania. First of all, the paper gives a concise description of the Lithuanian education system and defines the purpose of teaching history and its teaching system at the basic school (forms 5-10). The paper presents how much focus is given to the history of Arab countries in the "General Curriculum Framework" which regulates the curricula of all school subjects, including history. The paper also reveals how Arab history is represented in the history textbooks published by three distinct publishing houses. The research focuses on the textbooks published by "Briedis", "Kronta" and "Šviesa" since they are widely used in the present-day schools in Lithuania. The article initially focuses on the sixth grade textbooks which cover an introductory course entitled as "World History". The textbooks of Ancient History are not included in the scope of the research since they cover the period before the Arab conquests and the emergence of Islam. The paper reviews the eighth grade textbooks (History of the Middle Ages), the ninth grade textbooks (History of the New Ages) and the tenth grade textbooks (History of the 20th-21st Centuries). Aiming to determine the representation of the target topic, the research primarily focuses on the texts written by the textbook authors, a little less attention is given to the discussion of illustrations - maps, photographs and pictures, and there is minimum consideration of the assignments for pupils. Key words: Lithuania, basic school, arab countries, history textbooks, curricula.
