Education
Shaping of the New Education System in Bosnia and Herzegovina
The objective of the Education Program of the Open Society Fund - B&H (OSF B-H) is to contribute to the professional and democratic development of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the aim of promoting ethnic tolerance and cultural diversity.
In accordance with this, and within the framework of the Education Program Strategy, OSF B-H initiated the "Model for System Changes in Secondary Education" project with the aim of integrating the existing curricula and offering a reform model within the secondary school network in the Tuzla Canton.
The implementation of the Project started in February 2001, after signing the Agreement on Cooperation with the Ministry for Education, Science, Culture and Sport of the Tuzla Canton. The Agreement defines the partnership between the Ministry and OSF B-H and the duties and responsibilities of both institutions regarding the implementation of the Project.
With its approach and philosophy, which is in accordance with development initiatives in educational policy, the Project can serve as a practical example of what can be done regarding the transformation of the secondary education system in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H). The policy impacts on the legislature, institutions and the development of new skills in order to change the nature and results of secondary education.
The "Model for System Changes in Secondary Education" project consists of three main interconnected elements that influence each other: defining educational policies, capacity development and establishing a network of schools and local communities. At the Project's very core there is a network comprising 14 secondary schools that are committed to the participation in the process of implementing changes. These schools represent 43% of the total number of schools in the Tuzla Canton. The Project model anticipates their cooperation within the network through joint workshops, training and other activities with the aim of improving the quality of education and effecting changes.
The Project lists as priorities the following program areas and establishes the spectrum of activities for each of them: development of educational policy at the cantonal level, professional training and development of teachers, organization and management of schools, curricula and text-books and informal learning and the involvement of the local community in the education process.
The activities are implemented in partnership with institutions and non-governmental organizations, with the Project model having following characteristics: It is an integral part of the Ministry for Education, Science, Culture and Sport of the Tuzla Canton, in accordance with the OSCE suggestions for the education reform strategy in Bosnia and Herzegovina where the implementation approaches used are "from the ground up" and " top down" and it emphasizes establishing close relationships between schools and communities.
As the final year of the Project is 2005, it is possible to define the main achievements as follows: Project has developed a partnership between the educational institutions in the Canton, including the Ministry for Education of the Tuzla Canton, Pedagogical Institute Tuzla and the school. The process of institutional reconstruction has now begun. The core of professionals is now included in process of reforms. There is now an increased awareness of the need to acknowledge the changes in the wider community. The Project has also provided the catalyst for a series of projects aiming to improve the quality in schools.
Dissemination of information and results of the Project as a whole, planned for the end of 2004 into early 2005, will lead towards an ever-widening dialogue on educational changes through the strengthening of cooperation between cantons and entities.