Education in Bosnia-Hercegovina: The Case for Root-and-Branch Reform

The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) maintains that its work is contributing to reconciliation in the former Yugoslavia. In the particular case of Bosnia-Hercegovina (BiH), however, there are many internal obstacles to reconciliation, not least the country's education system. This is not only unwieldy and highly fragmented, as evidenced by the existence of 13 different Ministries of Education, but it also keeps children divided, exemplified by the phenomenon of “two schools under one roof.” Reconciliation is quintessentially about the restoration and repair of relationships, which in turn involves processes of rehumanization and trust-building. An education system that keeps young people divided, however, thus helping to fuel prejudice and stereotypes, is a critical impediment to reconciliation. Hence, the central contention of this article, which is premised on the so-called “contact hypothesis,” is that the education system in BiH must be fundamentally reformed. Unless and until segregation and exclusion are replaced with integration and inclusion, the prospects for genuine reconciliation remain somewhat remote. The example of Brčko District, it is suggested, offers a possible template for reform. Yet it is BiH's desire to join the European Union that may prove to be the ultimate catalyst for a much-needed overhaul of its education system.