OSCE concerned about segregation of students in Bosnia and Herzegovina
The OSCE Mission is playing a co-ordination role in the education reform agenda for Bosnia and Herzegovina. (OSCE) Photo details
SARAJEVO, 3 April 2003 - Ambassador Robert Beecroft, Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), has expressed strong concern about the continued segregation of students in 56 schools in one of the country's two entities, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In these schools, which are often referred to as "two-schools-under-one-roof", Bosniac and Croat children and their teachers often have no contact whatsoever with each other. There are numerous examples, in Central Bosnia, Herzegovina Neretva and Zenica-Doboj Cantons, where schools that were once unified are now physically divided.
Students even enter the schools through separate entrances, have separate breaks and the teachers do not use the same staff rooms.
"The continued presence of these schools is contrary to the principles set forth in the Education Reform Strategy", said Ambassador Beecroft. "This particularly goes against the commitment of Ministers of Education on both Entity and Cantonal levels to put an end to segregation and discrimination through education and to cut wastage, duplication and inefficiencies in Bosnia and Herzegovina's education system."
The Head of Mission urged all school directors and education authorities to follow the positive examples of the municipalities of Zepce and Vares, which have successfully undertaken the administrative unification of these schools, to eliminate the physical, social and psychological separation of students outside the classroom.
Through administrative unification of such schools, the authorities should register the schools as single legal bodies, with one director, a multi-ethnic steering board and parent/student councils.
"Administrative unification is not related to the curriculum or the work within the classroom. However, it would entail joint teaching shifts and intermingling of classrooms to minimize the physical divide between students of different ethnicities", he said.
The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina has requested the Cantonal authorities in the Federation entity to issue instructions and to work with school directors in implementing the unification of the administration in all the 56 affected schools by the start of the next school year.
The school directors were further urged to improve the interaction between students and teachers from these schools by organizing joint extra-curricular activities.
In these schools, which are often referred to as "two-schools-under-one-roof", Bosniac and Croat children and their teachers often have no contact whatsoever with each other. There are numerous examples, in Central Bosnia, Herzegovina Neretva and Zenica-Doboj Cantons, where schools that were once unified are now physically divided.
Students even enter the schools through separate entrances, have separate breaks and the teachers do not use the same staff rooms.
"The continued presence of these schools is contrary to the principles set forth in the Education Reform Strategy", said Ambassador Beecroft. "This particularly goes against the commitment of Ministers of Education on both Entity and Cantonal levels to put an end to segregation and discrimination through education and to cut wastage, duplication and inefficiencies in Bosnia and Herzegovina's education system."
The Head of Mission urged all school directors and education authorities to follow the positive examples of the municipalities of Zepce and Vares, which have successfully undertaken the administrative unification of these schools, to eliminate the physical, social and psychological separation of students outside the classroom.
Through administrative unification of such schools, the authorities should register the schools as single legal bodies, with one director, a multi-ethnic steering board and parent/student councils.
"Administrative unification is not related to the curriculum or the work within the classroom. However, it would entail joint teaching shifts and intermingling of classrooms to minimize the physical divide between students of different ethnicities", he said.
The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina has requested the Cantonal authorities in the Federation entity to issue instructions and to work with school directors in implementing the unification of the administration in all the 56 affected schools by the start of the next school year.
The school directors were further urged to improve the interaction between students and teachers from these schools by organizing joint extra-curricular activities.