#4: How Does Bosnia Move Forward?

By Min Htat Moe

Revisiting Our Posts: Stories from Three Bosnians

Education is perhaps one of the most important things in life. Most countries today have developed their own system of formal education, with their unique philosophy, method and approach. In our past three posts, we explored how the region of Bosnia structured its formal education with its distinct “two schools under one roof” model. We took a closer look at three individuals with three different stories, in the hopes of providing a wide range of perspectives on Bosnia’s education scene. In this final post, we consolidate what we have gathered to provide our views towards this issue and extend these observations to our country, Singapore.

The Intricate Web of Education

It has been evident in our discussions that education in Bosnia remains a pertinent issue. What was initially planned to be a temporary fix has now become permanent practice (Lanahan, 2017). Without a doubt, ethnic segregation in schools impedes reconciliation between various groups and hampers social progress (Tolomelli, 2015). As such, many have proposed integrated, blended schools with a common curriculum as the way forward for Bosnia. With integrated schools, supportive and healthy inter-ethnic friendships can allow for differences to be seen as opportunities to understand one another (Islamovic & Blazevic, 2014). With a common curriculum, integrated education can forge a strong national identity, which can be a uniting force among the people (Stabback, 2007). However, as we have seen in previous posts, the issue of education and segregation is multi-faceted and intertwined with many other overarching problems.

Our first and third posts touched on the questionable political environment in Bosnia which is said to consist of corrupt individuals and ethno-nationalists seeking to remain in power. Any efforts of political activism are unfortunately unsustainable given the lack of support and resources. Furthermore, topics of ethnicity and education are generally difficult to discuss and such topics are either avoided, or unresolved given each side’s unwavering views. The current curriculum also does little to support youths to think critically and independently.

Our second post highlighted the possible tension between shielding children from the horrors of ethnic division and ensuring conscious awareness of the realities of the past and present. The salience of seemingly rosier Yugoslavia in the minds of older Bosnians, coupled with the dwindling number of students arising from both “brain drain” and a lack of pro-family policies, only seem to prove just how complex this issue really is. While the notion of integrated schools bears promise, Bosnia has to address these wider problems in order to move forward. Otherwise, attempts at educational reform will likely be futile.

The Light at the End of the Tunnel

Bosnian newlywed at a segregated school compound. Source: N1

Despite this, as we alluded in our previous post, there is hope for tomorrow. The story of a couple who, against all odds, got married despite being ethnically different and segregated is but one of many optimistic signs we see in Bosnia. Today’s youths are increasingly conscious of their educational environment and are now actively fighting against ethnic segregation. A prominent example would be the students from Jajce who were awarded the Max van der Stoel Award for protesting against the authorities of their canton who wanted a new school that incorporated ethnic segregation (Lakic, 2018). These students’ efforts were recognised internationally and are a source of inspiration for others to fight for what they believe in.

Students protesting against segregated schools. Source: Reuters

In addition, segregation is not present at all levels of education. Ethnic mixing can be seen in tertiary institutions and in international schools, which our second post introduced. This encourages inter-ethnic friendships and promotes social cohesion. Our previous post also raised up how there has been increasing activism, with more youths starting their own non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and programmes. While such positive outcomes are rare, they do provide optimism towards Bosnia’s future.

Extending Bosnia to Singapore

In the midst of examining Bosnia, one cannot help but compare our findings with Singapore, a country often brought up by our various Bosnian partners. As a nation that also has a multi-ethnic composition, many of our partners revere Singapore due to its image of a harmonious, multiracial and peaceful nation. Singapore’s education system has also been lauded by some to be one of the best in the world (The Economist, 2018). This has prompted many of our partners to view Singapore as a gold standard for education, often commenting how Bosnia could stand to learn from our country. However, while things might seem rosy here, our education system is far from perfect.

Singapore students celebrating Racial Harmony Day. Source: The Straits Times

Many today still debate about the relevance of schools under the Special Assistance Plan (SAP), which offers several subjects in Mandarin mother tongue. This excludes students with other mother tongues such as Malay or Tamil and can be said to be a form of ethnic exclusivity (Loh, 2019). The question of whether our students can think critically is also of particular interest as some have commented on how our students are a “generation of sheep” (Teng, 2007). This issue bears resemblance to the concerns brought up by Ms Anesa about Bosnia. Hence, we see that despite Bosnia being far-removed from Singapore, these two countries share more commonalities than expected. Nevertheless, it is imperative that we as Singaporeans do not take our education for granted.

For nations such as Bosnia, the violence and conflict may be over, but the war in education is far from done.

The End

Nelson Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Over the course of these blog posts, we have observed that before education can become a powerful weapon, its structure and related systems must have the proper foundations. While it might seem as though Bosnia has a long road ahead, the destination is within sight. Thank you for journeying with us as we sought to explore Bosnia’s segregated education and give a voice to those on the ground. We also extend our deepest gratitude to Majra, the Cisic family, and Ms Anesa, for graciously allowing us to interview them. We hope that you have enjoyed reading our series on education in Bosnia and we would love to hear from you about your thoughts towards these issues. Please feel free to leave a comment down below and let’s start a fruitful discussion!

References

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Lakic, M. (2018, July 20). Bosnian Schoolchildren Win Award for Fighting Segregation.

Retrieved June 12, 2020, from https://balkaninsight.com/2018/07/20/pupils-from-

bosnia-win-max-van-der-stoel-award-07-19-2018/

Lanahan, B. (2017). Post-Conflict Education for Democracy and Reform: Bosnian Education

in the Post-War Era 1995-2015. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

doi:10.1080/14675980903491932

Loh, S. (2019, June 04). Should We Abolish SAP Schools? Retrieved June 12, 2020, from

https://spj.hkspublications.org/2019/06/04/should-we-abolish-sap-schools/

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doi:10.1007/s11125-008-9049-y

Teng, P. (2007, May 07). Thinking about Critical Thinking. Retrieved June 12, 2020, from

https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/issue07-inspire01/

The Economist. (2018, August 30). What other countries can learn from Singapore's schools.

Retrieved June 12, 2020, from https://www.economist.com/leaders/2018/08/30/what-

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reconciliation process in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Journal of Theories and Research in

Education, 10(1), 89-108. doi:10.6092/issn.1970-2221/4685