EDUCATION SYSTEM IN BIH

Seminarski rad iz predmeta Engleski jezik

Mentor: Student:

Banja Luka, decembar 2018.

 CONTENTS

1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 3
2. The Education System of Bosnia and Herzegovina ............................................................... 4
3. Teachers at a Glance ............................................................................................................... 5
3.1 The teachers’ population in the education system of Bosnia and Herzegovina ............... 5
4. Institutions of pre-service teacher education in BH ............................................................... 6
5. Recent Development and Plans in Teacher Education and Training ..................................... 8
5.1 Activities associated with promoting the Bologna process .............................................. 9
5.2 Reform documents and legislation ................................................................................. 10
5.3 Examples of good practice ............................................................................................. 11
6. The position of educational sciences in curricula................................................................. 11
7. Conclusions and Recommendations ..................................................................................... 14
Bibliography ............................................................................................................................. 16
 1. Introduction

Education in Bosnia and Herzegovina has a long history, the first classifiable higher-
education institution having been established a school of Sufi philosophy by Gazi Husrev-
beg in 1531, with numerous other religious schools following suit over time. In 1887, under
de facto Austro-Hungarian Empire control, a Sharia Law School began a five-year program.
In the 1940s the University of Sarajevo became the city's first secular higher education
institute. In the 1950s post-bachelaurate graduate degrees became available. Severely
damaged during the war, it was recently rebuilt in partnership with more than 40 other
universities. There are various other institutions of higher education, including: University of
Banja Luka, University of Mostar, University of Tuzla, University of Zenica, University
of East Sarajevo, University "Džemal Bijedić" of Mostar, University of Bihać, American
University in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Bosnia
and Herzegovina, which is held in high regard as one of the most prestigious creative arts
academies in the region.

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 2. The Education System of Bosnia and Herzegovina

The State of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BH) consists of two entities, the Federation of BH
and Republika Srpska (RS). The Federation of BH is further sub-divided into ten cantons,
each of which has its own ministry which is fully empowered to run education. State-level
competencies in the education sector are within the responsibility of the Ministry of Civil
Affairs. The decentralising logic of the Dayton Peace Agreement 1has made education a
hostage to latent nationalism in BH. Politically, education is seen largely as a vehicle for
creating three separate national histories, languages and cultures rather than as a way to
develop a common state identity.

However, several reforms in education have recently been initiated and supported by the
international community. In 2003 a ‘national’ policy for education reform was adopted by the
entities’ ministers for education. It provides a framework for education reform up until 2010
and consists of six pledges 2:

− accessibility and non-discrimination in education;

− modernisation and improvement of the quality of pre-school, primary and general
secondary education;
− modernisation and improvement of the quality of vocational education;
− modernisation and improvement of the quality of higher education
− financing and management in education; and
− legislation in education.

In addition, the structural reform of primary education which introduces nine years of
compulsory education has started but only in some parts of the country. The absence of a
uniform duration of study has many consequences. Most dramatically, it is a serious potential
impediment to the mobility of pupils which, in turn, may impede the freedom of movement.
The following table shows education levels in BH in accordance with the ISCED levels:

1
According to the Dayton Peace Agreement, the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina is decentralised so as to create
12 administrative units.
2
Education Reform: A Message to the People of BH, 2003.

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 Table 1. ISCED Levels of Education in Bosnia and Herzegovina

3. Teachers at a Glance

3.1 The teachers’ population in the education system of Bosnia and

Herzegovina

Since all teachers in Bosnia and Herzegovina are government employees, in addition to
acquiring an appropriate diploma in order to qualify to work in a public or private school they
also have to take a professional exam.

Teaching in the first three or four grades of primary school is carried out by classroom
teachers, whilst in the upper grades of primary school it is carried out by the subject teachers
or secondary school teachers. As a rule, subject teachers have a two-year degree from an
Academy of Pedagogy or from one of the Teachers’ Training Colleges, whilst secondary
school teachers have a four-year degree from one of the Teachers’ Faculties. In vocational
secondary schools teaching is carried out by secondary school vocational subject teachers.
These teachers usually have a degree from non-educational faculties and are required to
receive further training in the fields of pedagogy, psychology, didactics and methodology, as

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are the teachers of practical education in secondary vocational schools who are not normally
required to have a four-year degree.

Table 2. Total number of teachers in BH

4. Institutions of pre-service teacher education in BH

Initial teacher education in Bosnia and Herzegovina is considerably more varied and more
complex than in other European countries. The present situation is characterised by wide
variety of institutions, years of studies, as well as the structure and organisation of institutions.
At the moment, there are 8 public universities within which there are 26 higher education
institutions for education of future teachers. These institutions have different names: Faculty
of Philosophy, Natural Sciences and Mathematical Faculty, Faculty of Pedagogy, Academy of
Pedagogy, Academy of Music, Academy of Arts, Teachers’ Faculty, Faculty for Physical
Education, amongst others. The length of studies varies as well. The graduates of two-year
studies receive the title of teacher, while the graduates of four year studies are called a
professor.

Private universities and faculties that recently opened (Sarajevo, Bijeljina, and Prijedor) do
not cover teachers’ education for the moment. Studies at faculties of philosophy in BH last
four years for all programmes. This is the case with all other teachers’ faculties, except for:

− the Natural Sciences and Mathematical Faculty in Sarajevo covers future teachers
(two-year studies) and lecturers (four-year studies);
− the Faculty of Philosophy in Tuzla (pre-school teacher’s education, classroom
teacher’s education, Technical Education studies and Information Technology studies
lasting two years);
− the Faculty of Pedagogy in Mostar (pre-school and classroom teachers’ studies lasting
two years); and

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 − the Teachers’ Faculty in Mostar (pre-school teachers’ studies and classroom teachers’
studies lasting two years).

The majority of higher education institutions mostly organise postgraduate studies in

specific scientific areas. Postgraduate studies strictly oriented to the needs of education and
teaching practice have been rare. The teacher Training College in Bijeljina organises studies
in the Methodology of Classroom Teaching, while the Faculty of Philosophy in Sarajevo
recently organised within the programme of cooperation with the Finnish government in BH
master’s studies on ‘Individualisation and Inclusion in Education’. As a continuation of that
co-operation, postgraduate studies (i.e. specialist studies for teacher-practitioners) are in
progress at the moment in Banja Luka and Mostar, while activities for opening up studies in
didactics for specific subjects are in progress at the Natural Sciences and Mathematical
Faculties and the faculties of pedagogy.

The education of teaching personnel for the lower grades of primary schools (from first to
fourth grade) is performed at the academies of pedagogy and the pedagogical and teachers’
faculties, lasting for four years. The education of teaching personnel for the higher grades of
primary schools (from fifth to eight grade) is mainly realised at teachers’ faculties lasting two
or four years. General Education subjects in secondary schools are taught by teachers with
degrees from the teachers’ faculties, such as Philosophy, Natural Sciences and Mathematics,
Pedagogy, Faculties of Sports, Political Sciences, Academy of Music, Academy of Art.
Vocational education subjects are taught by personnel with a corresponding higher education
who took the training and got a certificate in Pedagogy, Psychology, Didactics, Methodology
of Teaching or Methodological Practice from one of the higher education institutions for
teachers’ education. Teaching staff for working with children with special needs receive their
education at the Faculty for Special Education. Religion teachers are formed and prepared for
school teaching at special higher education institutions.

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 Table 3. List of pre-service teachers’ education institutions in BH

5. Recent Development and Plans in Teacher Education and Training

There is no uniform development strategy for teacher education and training in Bosnia and
Herzegovina. The Message to the People of Bosnia and Herzegovina – Education Reform
talks about the development of higher education in pledge number 4, which reads as follows:

We will raise the quality of higher education and research in Bosnia and Herzegovina,
significantly increase the number of people with access to higher education and ensure the full
participation of the universities of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the European Higher Education
Area.3

Another document talking of the development of higher education and, in that context, the
education and professional development of teachers, is the Development Strategy of Bosnia
and Herzegovina (PRSP), which defines the following as priorities in the education sector:

− speed up the process of adopting the Framework Law on Higher Education in Bosnia
and Herzegovina and its harmonisation with the laws on higher education at the entity
and cantonal levels;

3
Education Reform: A Message to the People of BH, 2003

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 − integrate universities so that only the university as a whole, which will include all
higher education institutions, has the status of a legal entity;
− speed up the processes of introducing European-style credits and modernising
curricula and carrying out teacher training for using and implementing modern
methods of teaching and learning;
− establish the Centre for Information, Recognition and Quality Assurance;
− increase the proportion of students who successfully complete their studies within the
given timeframe;
− create the pre-conditions for the development of scientific research work at
universities;
− develop an information system in education and re-activate the academic scientific
research network; and
− establish a system of professional development and a network of institutions for
teacher training.

5.1 Activities associated with promoting the Bologna process

The reform of higher education institutions started with the signing of the Lisbon
Convention in 2002 and the accession of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the Bologna process in
September 2003. With this, BH accepted the obligation to work, together with other countries,
on creating the European Area of Higher Education by 2010.

Immediately after accession to the Bologna process work started on promoting its
documents and activities. The World University Centre (WUS) and the Students’ Resource
Centre (SRCe) produced a manual leading towards this effect. In June 2005, WUS BH in co-
operation with WUS Austria and Georg-August-Universitat Gottingen organised a seminar
within the Tempus Project called ‘Raising Awareness of the Bologna Process in Bosnia and
Herzegovina’.

A work group was formed for higher education in Bosnia and Herzegovina comprised of
the representatives of all universities, state representatives and representatives of both entities'
ministries with competencies for higher education, representatives of student organisations
and other NGOs dealing with higher education, as well as representatives of international
organisations such as the OSCE, OHR, EC, and others. The Rectors’ Conference of Bosnia
and Herzegovina (an association of universities which will ascertain and represent the
common interests of BH universities) was established on 8 February 2005. The Conference
will also work at an intense pace on implementation of the Bologna process.

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 5.2 Reform documents and legislation

In November 2002 all ministers for education in Bosnia and Herzegovina signed the
document ‘Education Reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina’. It contains five pledges with
reference to ‘ensuring equal access and non-discrimination in education; improving the
quality and modernisation of pre-school, primary and general secondary education; improving
the quality and modernisation of vocational education; improving the quality of higher
education, ensuring the mobility of students and academic personnel in BH and abroad and
promoting scientific research; finance reform, management reform and legislation reform in
the education sector’.

One of the main objectives of the reform relates to education in pre-school, primary and
general secondary education (Pledge 2 of the abovementioned document) and is stated as
follows:

„We will provide basic education of good quality at the pre-school, primary and general
secondary school levels, with a modern curriculum and a modern system of assessment and
certification for students and teachers. We will ensure that students are taught by well-trained
teachers, in properly equipped and efficiently managed schools.“

As far as teachers are concerned, this means:

− ensuring that all teachers receive training in modern teaching methodologies within
four years (2003 – 2006);
− developing standards and procedures for licensing and certifying pre-school and
primary school teachers (2004) and secondary school teachers (2007);
− establishing a network of in-service training centres and implementing a system of in-
service training including accredited programmes for the professional development of
pre- and primary school teachers (2003) and secondary school teachers (2004);
− implementing revised courses and systems for pre-service primary and general teacher
training, including significant practice training (2003-2004); and
− developing and implementing a programme of pre- and in-service teacher training for
work with children with special needs at all levels of education (2003 – 2004).

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 5.3 Examples of good practice

According to the findings of the Commission of European Universities, the University in

Mostar is in the lead amongst the eight universities in Bosnia and Herzegovina in terms of the
implementation of the Bologna process, but the failure to adopt an appropriate law on higher
education is an obstacle to the further continuation of activities leading towards
implementation.

The University of Sarajevo has produced final versions of guidelines regarding:

− organising an integrated University of Sarajevo;

− establishing a quality assurance system at the University of Sarajevo; and
− the development of Information Technology (www.unsa.ba/dokumenti.php).

New curricula in accordance with the Bologna process have been developed for the first
year of studies in the 2005/2006 academic year. Three-year studies have been introduced to
almost all faculties. The basic three-year studies in teaching will be carried out at the Faculty
of Philosophy and in part at the Natural Sciences and Mathematics Faculty.

The University of Tuzla has completed part of a reform concerning the organisation of
universities and is the only integrated university in Bosnia and Herzegovina. ECTS was
introduced in all departments in the 2003/2004 academic year. The introduction of ECTS was
accompanied by new curricula offering students the opportunity to select their subjects.

6. The position of educational sciences in curricula

The imbalance between narrowly specialised education and general education on one side
and Pedagogical-Psychological and Didactical-Methodical education on the other shows that
the actual preparation of teachers for teaching work is receiving unacceptably insufficient care
and attention. Teaching and preparing the future expert to be a successful teacher at the same
time has been pushed aside and has the tendency of a constant gradual retreat, although
feedback is there from the schools regarding inadequate preparation for direct work in the
teaching process, work with pupils, team work with other teachers, for permanent professional

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improvement and professional development as pedagogues, and not only as experts in
History, Foreign Language, Mathematics etc.

Table 4. Representation of the pedagogical group of subjects during study

Examined in this way, the Pedagogical-Psychological and DidacticalMethodological

university training of future secondary school teachers at the university reveals an extremely
unfavourable situation considering how little room is left in the curricula for creating teaching
personnel. Although variations exist between individual teachers’ faculties, the treatment of
PP and DM training is unsatisfactory everywhere and at a degrading level.

At the Natural Sciences and Mathematical Faculty, of the total number of lectures in the
course of studies just 4-7% is left for Pedagogical-Psychological and Didactical-
Methodological training. At the Faculty for Sports this proportion is somewhat more
favourable for PP and DM training and stands at 11%; at the Academy of Arts, PP and DM
takes up 10% of the total number of lessons, and at the Academy of Music only around 2%.
At the Faculty of Applied Sciences this general professional component makes up around 8%
of the lessons.

The situation at the academies and faculties of pedagogy is somewhat better, with up to
20% of total lessons being assigned to PP and DM training. The Methodology of Teaching
subject comprises lectures by professors, demonstration classes and practice work. Depending
on the nature of a subject, the Methodology of Teaching practicum is available which mostly
accommodates demonstrational experiment and laboratory work, necessary for teaching a
given subject in primary or/and secondary schools.

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 The number of demonstration lessons and practice work in the Methodology of Teaching
varies, with a minimum of 10 lessons in total. Most faculties do not have full
professors/qualified lecturers, nor do they have the necessary assistant lecturers for teaching
the Methodology of the Teaching Process. The Methodology of the Teaching Process is also
taught by full professors who use this subject to fill their work quota.

The poor situation with human resources and inadequate material conditions do not allow
the implementation of modern teaching technology and modern teaching equipment. Here, we
need to add that contents concerning professional skills for managing the classroom and
school, for adjusting instructions according to students’ needs, for the curricular programming
of educational work etc., are not represented in the education of future teachers.

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 7. Conclusions and Recommendations

Teachers play an important role in preparing young people to face the challenges of modern
times and events in their future with responsibility and self-confidence. Their role in
imparting information and knowledge, influencing the development of students' full potential,
in encouraging their curiosity and open-mindedness, encouraging understanding and
tolerance, as well as developing a love for learning will grow in importance every day. In
order to fulfil these complex tasks and help their students to learn and know, to learn to do
and act, to learn how to live with others and how to simply be, teachers have to be recruited
from amongst the best human resources which will confirm that they are motivated and
responsible for such responsible and complex tasks.

It is more than obvious today that the system for teacher education in Bosnia and
Herzegovina, both pre-service and in-service, is outdated and unsuitable for contemporary
needs, not only of the young people and their education but also the needs of the community
as a whole, and is not in accordance with the norms and standards which are increasingly
required from education. The attitude that favours the acquiring of knowledge in the subjects
a teacher will teach at school still prevails. Much less attention is given to the way knowledge
will be imparted to pupils and how the teacher will gradually substitute their role as the main
source of information with the role of active helper and a guide in the process of learning and
discovering new knowledge. In order for teachers to be able to address all the challenges of
modern social, scientific and technological development, and to be able to meet the needs of
the students themselves, it is necessary to include much more pedagogical-psychological and
didactical-methodical education as well as practical work in schools in their postgraduate
education. In addition, co-operation with experienced, resourceful teachers will help them to
develop into successful teachers of a high calibre.

The education system in Bosnia and Herzegovina should at all levels be dedicated to
creating a climate of quality education importance and, accordingly, to leverage continuous
lifelong teacher development to eventually establish professional learning communities. The
conclusions and recommendations from the round table may be summarised as follows:

− to assess the needs in teacher training across BH;

− to clearly define teachers’ competencies regarding development of the necessary
knowledge and skills in the processes of the education reform and EU integration;

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− to decentralise the system of professional development and enable competent service
providers to implement teacher training programmes;
− to develop the standards for quality teacher development as well as an evaluation
system for the diverse teacher development programmes;
− to develop catalogues of accredited training programmes;
− to train the mentors and trainers to enable them to undertake more efficient work with
students and teachers;
− to encourage co-operation between teacher training colleges and universities in order
to improve the curriculum;
− to encourage research into education at all levels;
− to develop adequate legislation to regulate teachers’ duties, the system of career
advancement, and the quality control system;
− to create a climate within schools that promotes quality improvement and teacher
development; and
− to create the framework for the lifelong teacher development concept.

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Bibliography

− Dizdar, Srebren. Development and Prospects of Teachers’ Education in Bosnia and

Herzegovina. Federal Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport, Sarajevo,
1998.
− European Union, IBF International consulting and the British Council. Functional
Report on Education Sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina. 2005. Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe. Starting the Debate: Is BH respecting its
commitments in education. 2005.
− Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. The review of relevant reports
on education in BH. 2005.
− Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Thematic Review of
National Policies for Education – Bosnia and Herzegovina. 2001.
− Rado, Peter. Transition in Education. Pedagogical Institute in Bihac, 2002.
− The Council of Ministries of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Poverty Reduction Strategy
for the period of 2003-2007. April 2003.
− The Ministries of Education in BH. Education Reform: A Message to the People of
BH, 2003
− United Nation Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Education for All:
National Report for BH. 2000.

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