Child-Friendly Schools in Bosnia and Herzegovina: A Case Study

From the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), this case study explores UNICEF Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH)'s child-friendly schools (CFS) project, which was initiated in 2002 to change the teaching practices to focus on children rather than teachers and to encourage child participation.

The case study begins by providing context for the project, including educational challenges, current education policy in BiH, and data - such as the fact that about 43% of children from economically poor households (compared to 23% of children from more affluent households) fail to proceed to secondary level and that there is a gap between boys and girls in terms of enrolment and attendance.

Next, the case study examines the strategies and activities that the CFS project developed to address these issues. In brief, training centres and practice classrooms were established in each canton, region, and district throughout the country to train the coordinators, school directors, educators, trainers, teachers, special education advisers, and parents (if and when appropriate), as well as to serve as resource centres and libraries. Consistent with the aim of promoting child-centred teaching and learning approaches, the project also included a supply component to equip schools with round tables, chairs, bookshelves, display boards, books, and teaching aids. Using a participatory approach involving stakeholders, documents were developed that included teaching manuals based on the existing curricula for kindergarten through fourth grade, teacher training modules, guidelines for establishing systemic change, and school/teacher certification and accreditation guidelines.

An external evaluation of the project revealed that, by the end of 2007, 97% of lower primary-school teachers and 58% of upper primary-school teachers had received basic or advanced child-centred methodology training. Over 100,000 children are now in child-friendly classrooms in 500 elementary schools across the country. Fifty schools have formed teams focusing on improving the school's management, strengthening the school's outreach and cooperation with local communities, and increasing the participation of children within school management via school action plans. The authors of the case study explain that, "Since all primary schools in the country have implemented at least one of the CFS principles and approaches, it can be said that the project has made CFS available and accessible to children nationwide." Furthermore, they indicate that, "By supporting processes of reconciliation and cross-cultural understanding at school and implementation level, the CFS Project can make an invaluable contribution to reinforcing prospects for peaceful coexistence and social cohesion."

Concluding sections of the case study explore qualitative impact of the CFS project on: children (e.g., in terms of decision-making, critical thinking and problem-solving, self-confidence and self-respect, independence, respect for differences, teamwork skills, communication skills, academic knowledge and skills, and enthusiasm for learning); teachers; the community; parents; the school community; and policy and legislation changes. A deeper analysis of these impacts follows, which leads the authors of the case study to suggest some future directions for the CFS approach in BiH. In conclusion, they suggest that "the CFS project has substantially addressed primary stakeholders' needs by contributing to children's well-being and holistic development, bringing teachers' and principals' knowledge at par with the latest thinking about learning and education, upgrading teaching and education management skills at the school level, and by creating space for the participation of parents and communities in education."