About education sector

The institutional picture of the education system in Bosnia and Herzegovina is a reflection of the organization of the state, defined by the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the constitutions of the Republika Srpska, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the cantons in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Statute of the Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina, on the basis of which competences in the field of education are legally defined.

According to the Law on Ministries and Other Administrative Bodies of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina is responsible for coordinating activities, harmonizing plans of entity authorities and defining strategies on an international level, among others in the field of education.

The education sector consists of four departments:

• Department for European integration and international cooperation

• Department for Coordination of Educational Policies

• Department for Mobility and Youth

• Department of Statistics, Analytics and Reporting

Education levels

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, education is organized into four basic levels: preschool, primary, secondary and higher education. The institutions through which the educational process is carried out are public and private.

Preschool education is part of the educational system in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in the year before starting primary school it is mandatory for all children of preschool age. The duration of preschool programs in the year before starting school is most often 150 hours, distributed throughout the year at a rate of two hours per week, while in Republika Srpska it is organized over a period of three months continuously for three hours per day, which is a total of about 190 hours. Preschool education is regulated by the laws of Republika Srpska, cantons in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which must be harmonized with the Framework Law on Preschool Education.

Primary education is mandatory for all children and lasts nine years. It begins in the calendar year in which the child turns six years old by April 1. Primary education is regulated by the laws of the entities, cantons and the Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Secondary school education is available to everyone, in accordance with the success achieved in primary school, personal interest and abilities. Secondary school can be established as:

• gymnasium,

• secondary technical school,

• vocational school,

• religious school,

• secondary art school,

• school for children with special needs i

• high school for adult education.

Secondary education is regulated by the laws of the Republika Srpska, counties in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which should be harmonized with the Framework Law on Primary and Secondary Education and the Framework Law on Secondary Vocational Education.

There are nine pedagogical institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina:

Republican Pedagogical Institute of Republika Srpska

Institute for the Development of Pre-University Education of Sarajevo Canton

Pedagogical Institute Zenica

Pedagogical Institute of the Una-Sana Canton

Pedagogical Institute of Bosanko-Podrinje Canton

Pedagogical Institute of Tuzla Canton

Pedagogical Institute Mostar

Institute for Education Mostar

Pedagogical institution of Brčko District of BiH

All pedagogical institutions have similar competences, which refer to the management of professional work in the implementation, improvement and development of upbringing and education, advisory-instructive work and the exercise of professional-pedagogical supervision over the work of educational institutions in the field of preschool, primary and secondary education.

Access to higher education is available to all those who have completed a four-year high school, in accordance with the results achieved in high school and personal interests.

Higher education is organized in three cycles:

- the first cycle leads to the academic title of a completed undergraduate study (the degree of Bachelor) or its equivalent, acquired after at least three and at most four years of full-time study after obtaining a high school certificate, which is evaluated with at least 180 or 240 ECTS points, with the exception of integrated studies of the medical group of sciences in the first cycle, which are evaluated up to 360 ECTS points,

- the second cycle leads to the academic title of master's degree or equivalent, obtained after the completion of undergraduate studies, lasts one or two years, and is evaluated with 60 or 120 ECTS points, so that in total with the first cycle it carries 300 ECTS points, and

- the third cycle leads to the academic title of doctor or equivalent, lasts three years and is evaluated with 180 ECTS points.

One semester of study carries 30 ECTS credits in each cycle.

The framework law on primary and secondary education in Bosnia and Herzegovina stipulates that the education of adults is organized in certain subjects and for their professional and personal development.

Adult education includes professional training, additional training, retraining, additional training and other activities to ensure lifelong learning.

Adult education is regulated in more detail in the laws of the Republic of Srpska, counties in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and is carried out in the Institute for Adult Education in the Republic of Srpska, centers for adult education in cantons in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as in schools that receive approval from the competent institution for the implementation of adult education programs.

Financing of education in Bosnia and Herzegovina is mostly done from public funds of entity, county, Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina and municipal budgets, depending on jurisdiction.

This practically means that, in terms of location, there are thirteen special budgets for education in Bosnia and Herzegovina: two at the entity level, one in the Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina and ten county budgets.