Back Education authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina back stronger reforms for inclusive, high-quality learning

Sarajevo 12 May 2025
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Education authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina back stronger reforms for inclusive, high-quality learning

At their fifth meeting, members of the Advisory Board of the joint European Union (EU) and Council of Europe action "Quality education for all" in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) reaffirmed their commitment to transforming the country’s education system through inclusive practice, critical thinking and strengthened cooperation at all levels.

Held on 12 May 2025, the meeting brought together representatives from state, entity and cantonal institutions, who reviewed progress and agreed on strategic priorities to advance quality education reaffirming strong alignment with the Council of Europe’s “Learners First” strategy. The meeting was opened by Sarah Keating, Head of the Division for Formal and Non-Formal Education of the Council of Europe, Adnan Husić, Assistant Minister from the Ministry of Civil Affairs of BiH and Fermin Cordoba, Political Advisor and Team Co-ordinator from of the Delegation of the European Union to BiH.

The Action has made significant progress, particularly in expanding resource centres, providing teacher training on democratic school culture, and engaging education authorities on all administrative levels.

“The first phase of the Action resulted in the Policy recommendations with a Roadmap for improving inclusive education adopted in 2020. Since then, phases two and three have focused on implementing these objectives - recognising education as a public good, combating discrimination, and fostering students’ critical thinking skills. I am pleased to see that education continues to be a key priority on the Council of Europe and EU’s agenda,” stated Adnan Husić.

Looking ahead, the focus will be on deepening systemic change by developing robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to support the implementation of the Roadmap and related action plans. There is also growing interest in tackling peer violence and bullying by building on regional experiences and existing policy frameworks. Representative of ministries expressed support for integrating resource centres into the formal education system and enhancing cooperation with NGOs, particularly in areas such as critical thinking and inclusive education. Participants also stressed the need for greater visibility of best practices to further broaden the Action’s impact. The overall vision remains clear - to build a sustainable, inclusive, and high-quality education system aligned with European standards.

The action “Quality education for all” is part of the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”.

Horizontal Facility III

The joint European Union and Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye” (Horizontal Facility III) is a co-operation initiative, running from 2023 until 2026.

The programme covers actions in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Türkiye. It enables the Beneficiaries to meet their reform agendas in the fields of human rights, rule of law and democracy and to comply with European standards, which is also a priority for the EU enlargement process.

The third phase of the programme is worth €41 million (85% funded by the European Union, 15% by the Council of Europe).

*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.