The Education System in Bosnia

 Education System in Bosnia 

In the Republika Srpska, problems arise when Muslim Bosniaks return to their small towns that were ethnically cleansed during the war. In these communities, education policies primarily reflect the domination of the Serbian majority group over minorities. Minority children are allowed access only to education organized to serve the needs of the majority students and the atmosphere is hostile in some schools.  The Serbian curriculum has a Serbian world perspective and is taught in the Serbian language and the Cyrillic alphabet. Students learn of the symbols, struggles and sacrifices of the Serbian people neglecting to explain the other perspectives in Bosnia. For example, in music class students learn patriotic Serbian songs, and in religion class only Orthodox Christianity is considered.  Vague references to “our country” implicitly refer to Serbia and not to Bosnia and Herzegovina.   Although the education system in Republika Srpska is centralized and the administration functions more smoothly than the system in FBiH, schools fail to incorporate minorities.

In FBiH, education is less centralized with many decisions delegated to the local level.  Much tension exists between the Bosniaks and Croats, as evident in their schools, and many parents will drive their children to a school farther away in order to receive instruction with their own ethnicity.  In the five cantons with a Muslim majority, education is taught from a Bosniak perspective in the Bosnian language.  Literature focuses on Bosniak authors, and does not include authors from other ethnicities in the region.  History textbooks heavily emphasize aggression and genocide attempts against Muslims specifically . In the two cantons with a Croatian majority in FBiH, the study of language means instruction only in Croatian without any references to the other languages of the region.  The wars in the 1990s are referred to with the theme of defending “the homeland.”  The history books focus on a Croatian perspective and neglect the “non-Croatian population.”  Bosnia and Herzegovina is referred to like a foreign country such as Serbia or Macedonia and textbooks are published in Zagreb .

Religion, as one of the main distinguishing features of ethnicity in Bosnia, is specifically a sensitive issue in education.  The constitutions of FBiH and Republika Srpska explicitly guarantee religious freedom while implicitly referring to a separation of church and state.  However, with the importance of religion in the last few decades, an American-style separation of church and state is impossible in Bosnia .  Religious education was introduced in all public schools in the 1990s yet only the religion of the majority is taught.  Authorities explain that it is not possible to provide teachers to represent each religious group, reflecting the political divisions in the country .  Technically religion education classes are optional, but in reality, students who opt-out of these courses face discrimination in some school districts.  In some schools if students do not attend the religion classes, they are forced to sit in the hallway . 

Herzegovina

SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 4 August 2010 – Eldina Ismailij, 11, loves to dance. The wild rhythms of Roma dancing set her free. Last year, she won a dance competition and her picture was in the newspaper. She blushes when asked about her accomplishment, and her mother, Dzemila Bostandzija, beams with pride. The best thing about winning, said Eldina, was the prize cake.Eldina and her family of nine live on the ground floor of a three-storey building on a hillside in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Eldina attends Džemaludin Cauševic Primary School in the Svarkino Selo area, a long tram ride from her home.

She says it can be scary sometimes in late winter afternoons, when she has to travel in the dark. On those days, Eldina calls her father to meet her at the tram stop.

Safe learning environment.

Many schools in Bosnia still reflect the ethnic tensions that triggered the 43-month siege of Sarajevo in the mid-1990s. During that time, schools were destroyed and classes were held in basements and shelters. Today, some Bosnian schools house ‘two schools under one roof,’ with separate curricula for different ethnic groups.

Džemaludin Cauševic Primary School is exceptional as a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural institution open to all students.

One of Eldina's favorite classes is Bosnian language. But she is also fiercely proud of her own heritage. Her school holds regular classes in Roma language and culture that students of many different backgrounds can attend.