Teachers from across Bosnia and Herzegovina gathered in Brčko from 13-15 May to strengthen democratic values and inclusivity in schools as part of the joint European Union and Council of Europe action “Quality Education for All”.

Coming from Goražde, Zenica, Srebrenik, Orašje and Brčko, participants explored how to bring democratic values to life in classrooms through practical tools and peer learning.  The training focused on applying the Reference Framework of the Competences for Democratic Culture (RFCDC) – a key tool for embedding democratic principles in everyday teaching practice.

A teacher from Srebrenik said that she would describe this training as “interesting, creative, and extremely useful”. “I learned new methods that I will be able to apply in my work with students—one that stood out was the ‘Problem Tree’ method, which I found particularly engaging and applicable. The debate method we exercised was a real challenge, but also a great opportunity to exchange perspectives on topics from our daily work,” she said adding that she appreciated most the flexibility of the approach—it didn’t confine them to one format but encouraged them to explore different angles.

The event also featured experienced teachers from the Fourth Primary School in Brčko and the Secondary School in Čelić who acted as mentors, supporting their colleagues in developing more inclusive teaching practices. These efforts are part of a broader mentoring initiative delivered in cooperation with the civil society organisation CEI “Step by Step”, aiming to build a national pool of RFCDC-trained educators who will serve as peer trainers in the future.

With continued support planned for teachers and schools throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Quality Education for All” action is helping to ensure that classrooms are places where respect for human rights, diversity, solidarity, and critical thinking are not just concepts, but everyday practices. By empowering these teachers from five cities, the seminar in Brčko marks another important step in building a more democratic and inclusive education system—one that prepares students to be active, thoughtful, and responsible members of society.

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”.