Reimagining schooling in Bosnia and Herzegovina: A Resident Coordinator Weblog |

“After I was first appointed as United Nations Resident Coordinator two and a half years in the past, it was clear to many who past the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, the schooling system was managing advanced and longstanding obstacles, together with a extremely decentralised schooling sector, outdated infrastructure, and reducing numbers of scholars.

These obstacles had been contributing to academic challenges throughout the nation. For instance, in 2018, the Programme for Worldwide Pupil Evaluation (PISA) evaluation discovered that 15-year-old college students from Bosnia and Herzegovina had been effectively under the studying, arithmetic, and science proficiency of the (Organisation for Financial Co-operation and Growth) OECD common, though there may be comparatively excessive spending per scholar relative to the nation’s Gross Home Product. 

UN BiH/Adnan Bubalo

Ingrid Macdonald, UN Resident Coordinator in Bosnia-Herzegovina

From disaster to alternative

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the educational of greater than 400,000 college students throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina which introduced these challenges to mild. But, it additionally gave the UN a once-in-a-generation alternative to assist the authorities with academic reform throughout the nation. 

Because the pandemic unfolded in 2020, the United Nations companies in Bosnia and Herzegovina got here collectively to prioritize schooling as a spotlight of our COVID-19 restoration efforts. A fast wants evaluation in March-April 2020 by the UN kids’s company (UNICEF) and the UN schooling, tradition, and science company (UNESCO) was the premise for framing a United Nations schooling restoration programme.

The cornerstone, a joint undertaking, was launched underneath the management of UNICEF and UNESCO, in partnership with the Worldwide Labour Organisation (ILO) and UN Volunteers (UNV), referred to as ‘Reimagine Training for Marginalized Boys and Women throughout and submit COVID-19’. 

The undertaking was one in all solely 18 tasks globally to obtain assist from the United Nations Secretary-Common’s COVID-19 Restoration Fund, and the one one which targeted on the schooling sector. Extra importantly, this undertaking was a catalyst for reinforcing United Nations assist to the authorities to strengthen cooperation amongst authorities ministries, enhance instructing capacities, modernize ICT tools, and develop new digital studying platforms. 

The quick influence was clear. Between February 2021 and March 2022, UNICEF, UNESCO, and ILO offered 2,498 academics with coaching on digital studying and instructing, while additionally offering 664 digital units (laptops and assistive know-how) to 110 colleges (26 per cent of general variety of colleges). 
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In direction of shared schooling commitments

Because the emergency part of COVID retreated, it grew to become clear that the educational sources, coaching and tools offered by the United Nations had helped improve the collaboration between the nation’s quite a few schooling ministries and different stakeholders.

Constructing on this sense of synergy and cooperation, within the lead as much as the Remodeling Training Summit, underneath the coordination management of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, and in wonderful cooperation with Entities, Cantons and Brcko district, the United Nations in Bosnia and Herzegovina convened a collection of three pre-Summit consultations with nearly 1500 members from governmental and non-governmental sectors, colleges, academia, youth and the personal sector.

Greater than half of the members (845) concerned within the consultations had been underneath the age of 30. After a summer season of inclusive dialogue and dialogue, the schooling authorities submitted a Report and Declaration of Dedication to the Transformation Training Summit Secretariat in New York. 

This declaration was adopted by the 16 Ministers chargeable for schooling affairs on the varied governing ranges in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It represents the primary country-wide coverage place on schooling endorsed in twenty years.

As we transfer ahead, UNESCO and UNICEF are working in assist of the related schooling authorities to develop an motion plan targeted on implementing the commitments outlined within the Declaration. 

The worth of our joint efforts to remodel and unite the schooling agenda throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina has been additionally acknowledged by companions. As a part of the European Union’s in depth assist to Bosnia and Herzegovina, the EU is contemplating a stronger engagement to assist schooling over the following 10 years, with UNESCO and UNICEF actively supporting the identification of education-related priorities. 

The trail to long-lasting transformation

As we put together for an thrilling week of dialogue, dialogue, and commitments in the course of the Remodeling Training Summit in New York, I really feel pleased with the steps we now have taken to assist the authorities with reform of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s schooling sector and to construct a extra inclusive, high-quality and related studying expertise for all. 

While Bosnia and Herzegovina nonetheless faces many challenges in its path in the direction of high quality of schooling, I’ve learnt over the past two years that, with clear international management, backed by catalytic pooled funding, and real partnership throughout the United Nations with the authorities, we at the moment are uniquely positioned in Bosnia and Herzegovina to ship on these once-in-a era transformative academic modifications.”