Bosnian public is concerned with the situation in education based on the fact that one part of country is experiencing actions supporting segregation of children in schools, and their separation on the basis of ethnicity and belonging to different constituent peoples. (27-SEP-07)

Written by HRH / Mirsad Pandzic; Photo: OSCE Mission to BiH

It is alarming situation in which the school age children are being divided by ethnicity and that there is a practice of open segregation and apartheid. Fifty four schools in BIH work upon the principle of “two schools under the same roof“. They work on the basis of two separate curricula, with an explanation that the aim is to preserve the right to own culture, language. It has not been solely the assessment of the BH Helsinki Committee that this is a typical case of segregation, but the same assessment was also made by many local and foreign institutions and prominent individuals.

Prevented from learning about the other and different
In these 54 schools classes are conducted in the Croatian and Bosnian languages. The implementation of such curricula divides students and teaching staff into Croats and Bosniacs while they virtually have no contact at all. The children are therefore prevented from learning about the other and different, as directly opposed to co-existence and tolerance, and which further deepens the lack of confidence and hatred. Division of school age children by the ethnic principle with tacit agreement of the authorities contradicts the Law on Elementary and Secondary Education and all international documents pertaining to this area.

The competent authorities and the coalition political partners, SDA and HDZ, support this practice in local communities, thus being direct accomplices in disrespect of domestic legislation and in violating the numerous international documents pertaining to the human rights.

Such schools were meant to be an interim solution
The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina stressed that such schools were meant to be an interim solution that would merge into single schools over time. The international community never intended for such schools to become a permanent feature of the BH educational landscape, and that once BH became a member of the Council of Europe, it committed itself to ending segregation in its schools.

Separation of children is definitely an anti-civilisational act
The position of the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina is that every ethnic group in Bosnia and Herzegovina has the right to education in their own languages, the use of textbooks in those languages, and that every citizen has the full right and freedom to use his/her language and alphabet. Surely the schools or classes where students are divided on ethnic basis are not the guarantees for this right, but consistent curricula, appropriate textbooks and consistent teachers. Separation of children is definitely an anti-civilisational act, as much as it is unacceptable to deny rights of each ethnic group to education in their particular languages.

Helsinki Committee trust that the children who grow up and are educated in isolation from others will not only develop the problem of communication with and understanding of their neighbors from different ethnic groups, but also with other citizens of the united Europe we are striving for.