Two schools under one roof

“Divisions in schools depict cultural differences in this country in the worst possible way. The way students are educated represents a threat to the future stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The system as such causes superficial knowledge about other ethnic groups that live here, not to mention members of minority groups… The feeling of segregation does not bring anything good for the future of Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
(Causevic-Podzic, 2007)

”Two schools under one roof” is a phenomenon that has existed in the educational system of Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2003. Explained in more detailed way, Bosniak and Croat children go to schools located in the same buildings, but attending different curriculum programs, using different textbooks and languages (Bosnian language for Bosniak children and Croat language for Croats). That way, pupils are besides being physically separated, divided in educational sense based on their ethnic belonging. Not in every, but in most of the cases, students attend schools at the different shifts or enter school building through different doors, sometimes using different stairwells as well. This phenomenon has been present in two cantons of BiH Federation: Herzegovina-Neretva and Central Bosnia, which are populated by Bosnian Croats and Bosniaks. It is perceived as a direct consequence of Croat-Bosniak war (1992-1994) and the creation of self-proclaimed regime of Herzeg-Bosnia on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Even though there is a Federal Ministry for Education, Culture and Sport, each cantonal ministry enjoys a jurisdiction over its own educational system. Thus, it can be said that the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina has 13 educational systems that are shaped by decisions of cantonal Ministries of Education. This issue represents a clear example of ethnic segregation of children, and it is a usual topic for political discussion both in and outside the BiH borders. That fact is by all means threatening for the future prosperity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, because it creates segregation in the most fundamental stage of individual development of children, teaching them that the concept in itself is normal and usual, and not discriminatory as it is in reality. Instead of misperceiving the importance of education, it should be treated as the crucial factor in societies’ prosperity. This essay will explain this concept in more detailed way, considering the question of its creation, practical examples of the phenomenon and its negative implication on future prosperity of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

HOW WAS THE SYSTEM CREATED?

During the war, each municipality adopted its own school curriculum and textbooks (Low-Beer, n.d.). In Republika Srpska these were borrowed from Serbia whilst Croats borrowed them from Croatia. On the other side, Bosniaks put an effort to publish completely new textbooks for a newly created educational system introduced in 1994 (idem). After the war in Bosnia (1992-1995), The Dayton Peace Agreement (1995) established a system that functions on the principle of allocation of political power among the three constitutive nations (Custovic, n.d.). Therefore, administrative divisions were imposed as well as all other divisions such as the segregation in the educational system of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Instead of an attempt to create a unified educational plan and program, the system has created different curriculums that are characterized by the separation of history, culture, and ethnicity (idem), dividing students and fostering them to identify themselves first as members of one of the three ethnic groups and as the citizens of BiH state only as secondary. The concept of “Two schools under one roof” was introduced by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), whose primary idea was to ensure returns of displaced persons to their pre-war places of residence and enable their children to attend schools in normal and safe conditions (Anti-Diskriminacija, n.d.). This idea was supposed to be used only as temporary. Nevertheless, it has lasted to the present day and has been misused for a long period of time for ethnic segregation of Bosnian students. In response to the incapability for the model of “Two schools under one roof” to fulfill its primary goal, its take-down has been called by the number of international actors such as the Peace Implementation Council, the Office of the High Representative, the OSCE, the Council of Europe and the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (Hadziristic, 2017). However, these attempts have been usually blocked by the dominant political parties and the role of their leaders (idem). One of the most controversial statements was made in 2011 by the Mister of Education of Central Bosna canton at the time Greta Kuna when she stated that “pears and apples must not be mixed”. (Uskoplje.net, 2011) She made the statement in response to demonstrations made by the representative student body of SBK Student Council Network that tried to express students’ anti-discriminatory attitudes.

RESEARCHING TEXTBOOKS

Open Society Fund of Bosnia and Herzegovina, together with proMENTE research studies, has conducted a research work in order to find out to what extent are school curriculums and textbooks that are used within different educational systems in balance with regulations and relevant documents about reforms in educational system. In addition, they wanted to research the influence of such educational system on the process of social cohesion and creation of a more positive attitude towards the state and respect for the presence of differences (proMENTE, n.d.). The research was based on the analysis of 145 textbooks of language geography, history and religious teaching that were approved by the both Ministries of Education in FBiH and RS for in 2005/06 school year. They have concluded that textbooks in mentioned subjects do not provide multicultural understanding of Bosnian society. Instead, they are designed in a way to make students identify themselves with belonging to one of the three ethnic groups in the first place. That way, students are by all means segregated, which is in a direct contrast to the platform of educational reforms, as well as the principles of the International conventions that are relevant for the educational sphere in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Besides these facts, textbooks do not encourage students to think critically, but rather provide support for dominant prejudices and stereotypes (idem).

• Native Language – The linguistic differences between the languages are minimal and people can understand each other without any problems. However, even these minimal differences encouraged political elites to exploit more and more differences, continuing with their separationist discourse (Custovic, n.d.). Starting from different names for the same language, textbooks are both ideologically and nationally written in a way to promote the culture of only one ethnicity (proMENTE, n.d.). It is not unusual thing to see that these books proclaim certain authors as Serbs, Croats or Bosniaks (idem).
• History – History textbooks do not encourage a feeling of shared belonging to the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In contrast, Croats study history of Croatia in detail, while only mentioning BiH history along the way. Their textbooks are published in Zagreb, Croatia, while Bosnian are published in Sarajevo, BiH. Additionally, in reference to history, children are not taught about the 1992-1995 War in Bosnia and Herzegovina and there is nothing written in the book about it.
• Geography – Similarly to history textbooks, geography of Croatia is put on emphasis in Croatian books, while geography of Bosnia and Herzegovina is taught in Bosnian schools. Additionally, it can be said that the textbooks are full of negative examples that counter to the principles of the announced reform.
• Religious Teaching – Religious diversity is treated as an issue and particular religion is treated as the ultimate one. In addition, people that do not belong to either of religions are treated as if they are of lesser importance (idem).

PRACTICAL EXAMPLES

As it was already mentioned, the model of “Two schools under one roof” is characteristic for two cantons in Federation (Herzegovina-Neretva and Central Bosnia canton) and their cities such as Mostar, Čapljina, Stolac, Prozor, Gornji Vakuf, etc.

For example, in Gornji Vakuf students are physically divided in the same building. Croats attend so called “Srednja škola Uskoplje” on the ground floor of the building, while Bosniaks attend “Mješovita škola Gornji Vakuf” on the first floor. The similar system operates in cities of Čapljina, Stolac, Prozor and some schools in Mostar.

However, there is a positive practical example of Grammar School in Mostar that attempted to slight these divisions by establishing a common administration. Students enter the school through the same door, using the same stairwells and some of the classrooms, attending classes at the same shifts. They also attend some classes together such as the class of Information technology and additional lectures in French language. Additionally, students possess common representative Student Council body where they collaborate on projects together no matter of the fact that their studies are based on different school curriculums and languages. This is the proof that students can coexist together and that divisions are not their preference, but the preference of those above. Despite the fact that the practical example of Grammar school in Mostar is not an example of unified plan and program, it clearly represents a step forward in its creation.

The ultimate aim would be the common educational system as it was stated by the federal Minister Damir Mašić in 2014. He mentioned the example of Brčko District in which children practically attend schools together regardless of their ethnic or religious belonging. There is only one group of subjects which is associated with national group of subjects that are taught separately (Mašić, 2014).

The most recent example associated with the topic of educational segregation is an attempt to create a model of “Two schools under one roof” in Jajce. The Ministry of Education of Central Bosnia canton proclaimed the opening of the school in Jajce that would work on the basis of Federal plan and program where Bosniak children could be educated separated from Croats. After such an announcement, a group of students gathered in the streets to express their dissatisfaction towards authorities’ decisions (Barimac, 2017). At the end of the March, American ambassador in Bosnia and Herzegovina Maureen Cormack met with the Minister of Education in Central Bosnia canton Katica Cerkez in Travnik in order to discuss the situation. Cormack expressed her full support to the students who decided to protest against discriminatory actions. On the other side, Cerkez explained that this kind of situation is a direct consequence of the system that was imposed by the Dayton Peace Agreement which says that Bosnia is multi-ethnic and multi-lingual state in which every child should have a right for education in his/her language. She added that the situation as such reflects reality of Central Bosnia canton and that the school will be open if there are enough of those interested (idem).

CONCLUSION

Bosnian children grow up in mono-ethnic communities not being able to acknowledge the beauties of multicultural country. Even though they learn that the Earth is round, their world is flat, bordered at every 50 kilometers. The biggest problem is the fact that they are divided right through the educational system that is supposed to be created in a way to foster integration. Unfortunately, segregation is in focus of their every-day life. Although there were many provisions to reorganize the educational system throughout the history, the problem of “two schools under one roof” still operates and the idea of the creation of new schools based on this phenomenon is still alive (which can be seen on the recent example of Jajce). The excuse that is used among BiH politicians for their inability to change the existing problems in education is that the common educational system would lead to assimilation and the loss of rights to national identity. Professor Lamija Tanovic and director of the United World College in Mostar at the time responded: “These politicians in 90% of the cases send their children to study abroad in various types of systems, and they do not think that their children would become assimilated Americans, English, Danish, Swedish people etc.” (Tanovic, 2009) Provided analysis of textbooks proved that students from one ethnic group study bias and different cultural and historical facts to those other 2 ethnicities. This is the serious problem that cannot bring anything good for the future prosperity of Bosnia. By denying taking certain actions in order to change something regarding this situation, authorities tend to maintain the status-quo and ensure that generations that are coming would be educated to lead the country the same way it is led now. Because of that, continuous hope among the population that younger generations would change something in the future of Bosnia and Herzegovina thus remains a fairytale.