Back Two new resource centers for democratic school culture opened in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina 23 December 2024
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Two new resource centers for democratic school culture opened in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Two more schools in Bosnia and Herzegovina have officially become Resource centers for democratic school culture. The Fourth elementary school in Brčko and the Vocational High School in Čelić have become part of a transformative initiative aimed at fostering democratic values and promoting inclusive education.

 

Over the 2023/2024 school year, teachers from these schools along with 50 of their colleagues from other schools participated in capacity building sessions and mentorship programmes designed to improve approaches and methods for cultivating democratic, inclusive and resilient school environments. Through this collaboration, the schools developed action plans that engaged students in co-creating and leading various initiatives.

 

Many of these activities have resonated with the wider local community and have made an impact outside of the school grounds. “The school club for critical thinking which has been active in the school was a catalyst for other activities. It motivated a group of our students to sign up for a cross-country debate competition where they earned one of the top prizes and used it to purchase equipment to set up a podcast show where they now discuss topics focused on empowering young girls. Also, students in our schools formed their own book club which now has surpassed school grounds and includes members of the local community outside the school”, explains Nasiha Mulahalilović, teacher from the secondary school in Čelić.

 

Representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science of Tuzla Canton who took part in the event praised the excellent work and dedication of the school team while also putting forth questions on how these achievements could be shared and multiplied in other schools to make the impact more sustainable and an official part of the education system and structured teacher training.

 

Similar conclusions were discussed with representatives of the Department for education of the Government of Brčko District who together with the representatives of the Council of Europe visited the Fourth primary school in Brčko to learn about their achievements and results.     “We live in times where things are changing at such a fast pace and there is need to move away from the old-fashioned approach. Competences for democratic culture must be spread through the subjects and the content of the classes, and projects like this shed light on this segment that is missing in the education of our children which helps them cope with all the changes”, stated Perica Ivanek, Head of the Subdivision for Preschool and Primary Education in Brčko District.

 

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.