Anastasija Nasta Dimitrijević
I Anastasija Nasta Dimitrijević was a pioneer of education in Niš. She was the first female teacher in Niš, the founder of the first co-educational school for boys and girls, and one of the first advocates for the education of girls at a time when it was not socially accepted.
General Biographical Information
She was born around 1816 in Prizren. As a child, she suffered paralysis of her left arm and leg but remained steadfast in dedicating her life to education. She moved to Niš, where she vowed never to marry and devoted herself to teaching. Known as the “daskal girl,” she dressed semi-masculinely, which was unconventional for the time.
Spiridon Jovanović introduced her to teaching, and she worked alongside Atanasije Petrović to promote education in Niš. She became the first teacher at a co-educational school opened in 1845 at the site of today’s Cathedral Church. The tradition of this school is carried on by the “Učitelj Tasa” Primary School in Niš. Several years before the liberation of Niš, due to old age and loss of hearing, she retired. Upon the proposal of Minister of Education Stojan Novaković, the National Assembly and Prince Milan Obrenović granted her an annual pension of 300 dinars.
She died in 1886 in Niš, at the age of seventy.
Career
Anastasija Nasta Dimitrijević worked in Niš for a total of 40 years – 15 years as a private teacher and 25 years as a municipal teacher. She was the first to systematically educate girls in Niš, at a time when even in free Serbia, girls’ education was highly underdeveloped.
Following the enactment of the first general education law in 1844 and the “Organization of Girls’ Schools” decree in 1846, Nasta actively contributed to educating girls, teaching them literacy and handicrafts.
Her school often had over 100 students, and thanks to her efforts, literacy among women in Niš, although still low, began to increase – by 1879, there were only 73 literate women among over 12,000 inhabitants.
II Legacy
Anastasija Nasta Dimitrijević left a significant mark as the first female teacher and one of the founders of girls’ education in Niš. Her work laid the foundations for the city’s modern educational system.
Today, there is a proposal for an award for the best teacher to bear her name, and her story is passed down to students at the “Učitelj Tasa” Primary School.
Interesting Facts
- Born around 1816, she suffered paralysis of her left arm and leg, yet she never married and chose a life of education over conventional expectations. Her semi-masculine attire-quite bold for her era-attested to her quiet defiance of social norms.
- She remained committed to her teaching vocation throughout her life, despite extremely difficult working conditions and lack of official recognition.
- Known for her unconventional appearance and determination to educate generations of children despite her physical disability.
- In 1845, she opened the first co-educational school in Niš.
- Anastasija devoted 40 years to teaching-15 as a private tutor and 25 as a municipal educator-at a time when female professionals were rare and often marginalized.
- Shortly before her death, due to poverty and deteriorating health, she requested and received financial aid from the state. Only thanks to advocacy from the Minister of Education, Stojan Novaković, did the National Assembly grant her an annual pension of 300 dinars-a small but meaningful acknowledgment of her contributions.
- Long before girls’ education was standard, Anastasija systematically taught literacy and handicrafts to girls in Niš. While national literacy rates remained low, her work planted seeds of change-by 1879, female literacy in Niš had begun to emerge.