“When I was first appointed as the United Nations Resident Coordinator two and a half years ago, I realized that beyond the turmoil of the COVID-19 pandemic, the education system was dealing with complex and long-standing obstacles involving a highly decentralized education sector. It was clear to many that there was an outdated infrastructure, and a declining number of students.

These disabilities contributed to educational challenges across the country. For example, a 2018 International Student Assessment Program (PISA) assessment found that her 15-year-old student in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) had relatively high spending per student compared to the country’s gross domestic product. Nevertheless, the OECD average.

UNICEF BiH/Adnan Boubaro

Ingrid Macdonald, United Nations Resident Coordinator for Bosnia and Herzegovina

From Crisis to Opportunity

These challenges have been exposed as the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the learning of over 400,000 students across Bosnia and Herzegovina. But it also gave the United Nations a once-in-a-generation opportunity to assist authorities with educational reforms across the country.

When the 2020 pandemic hit, UN agencies in Bosnia and Herzegovina came together to prioritize education as a focus of efforts to recover from COVID-19. A rapid needs assessment by the United Nations Children’s Agency (UNICEF) and the United Nations Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (UNESCO) in March-April 2020 formed the basis for structuring the United Nations Education Recovery Programme.

The Joint Project, a joint project, was initiated under the leadership of UNICEF and UNESCO in collaboration with the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the United Nations Volunteers (UNV). .

The project was one of only 18 projects worldwide to receive support from the UN Secretary-General’s COVID-19 Recovery Fund, and the only one focused on the education sector. More importantly, the project is a catalyst to strengthen UN support for authorities to strengthen interagency cooperation, improve educational capacity, modernize ICT equipment and develop new digital learning platforms. have become.

The direct impact was clear. Between February 2021 and March 2022, UNICEF, UNESCO and the ILO will provide 2,498 teachers with training in digital learning and teaching, and 110 schools (26% of all schools) will receive 664 digital Provided devices (laptop and assistive technology).
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Towards a shared commitment to education

As the COVID emergency subsides, learning resources, training and equipment provided by the United Nations have helped strengthen cooperation between many of the country’s ministries of education and other stakeholders. I was.

Building on this sense of synergy and cooperation, the United Nations of Bosnia and Herzegovina has convened for the Education Transformation Summit, under the coordinating leadership of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, in excellent cooperation with the Entities, Cantons and Brko District. it was done. A series of three pre-summit consultations with approximately 1500 participants from government and non-government sectors, schools, academia, youth and the private sector.

More than half of the participants (845) who participated in the consultation were under the age of 30. After a summer of comprehensive dialogue and discussion, education officials submitted a report and a declaration of commitment to the Transformation Education Summit Secretariat in New York.

The declaration was adopted by 16 ministers responsible for education matters at various levels of government in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It represents the first national policy line on education approved in 20 years.

As we move forward, UNESCO and UNICEF are working to assist relevant education authorities in developing action plans focused on implementing the commitments outlined in the Declaration.

Our partners recognize the value of our joint efforts to transform and integrate the education agenda across Bosnia and Herzegovina. As part of the European Union’s broader support for Bosnia and Herzegovina, the EU is considering a stronger engagement to support education over the next decade, with UNESCO and UNICEF actively identifying education-related priorities. We are supporting to

The path to lasting change

Supporting authorities in reforming Bosnia and Herzegovina’s education sector to build a more inclusive education as it gears up for exciting dialogue, debate and commitments at the Transforming Education Summit in New York We are proud of the steps we have taken to , providing high-quality and relevant learning experiences for everyone.

Bosnia and Herzegovina still faces many challenges on its way to improving the quality of its education, but I have seen clear global leadership, catalytic pooled funding and genuine engagement with authorities across the United Nations over the past two years. I learned that we are supported by the partnership of Now uniquely located in Bosnia and Herzegovina, we are realizing these once-in-a-generation transformational educational changes. ”