“Two school under one roof”. The role of education in the reconciliation process in Bosnia and Herzegovina

This paper will take into consideration scientific literature as well as institutional documents in order to outline the present situation of the educational system in Bosnia and Herzegovina. A particular focus will be put on the Interface between politics and religion, as authorities of the latter hold many interests in controlling the education sector. The centuries-old tradition of cultural and religious coexistence in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) has been disappearing rapidly since the beginning of the Yugoslav war in 1992. As a matter of fact, the war destroyed multicultural acceptance. In the case of BiH, ‘ethnicities’ have been forged in order to justify politicaleconomic interests, despite a cultural common background. It is for this reason that it would be more appropriate to use the term “entities” rather than “ethnicities”, as historically speaking the three groups share common roots. The case study of the “two schools under one roof” constitutes the worst example of discrimination within the educational environment of BiH. This system sees some school buildings of BiH providing different spaces and curricula for students belonging to different entities. Even though the project was meant to be temporary (OSCE formulated the project in 2000 in order to cope with the highly problematic situation at stake in some areas of the country), it seems that this strategy will persist, for authorities and parents alike have shown no intention to abandon it. It should also be said that the segregated system affects not only students, but teachers as well, as their appointment keeps been carried out on ethnic criteria.