Types of institutions

• General secondary school, ( the curriculum is conducted for a four-year duration, with the completion of which a student attains secondary school education and the possibility of continuing education)
• Art school, (music, arts and other, determined according to the type of curriculum, for a four-year duration, the completion of which the student attains secondary school and the possibility of continuing education)
• Religious school, (the curriculum is conducted for a four-year duration, with the completion of which the student attains secondary school education and the possibility of continuing education)
• School for pupils with special needs
• School for adult education.

Geographical accessibility

After primary school, each pupil is allowed to continue secondary education under equal conditions and according to their abilities for acquiring knowledge and skills for work and further education.

Admission requirements and choice of school

Admission of full-time pupils is conducted in June and July term, on the basis of public competition announced by the founder.

Founder invites applications for admission of full-time pupils in the first grade up to 31 May, in the public media.

All pupils from the Bosnia and Herzegovina compete on equal terms for enrollment in the first grade of public or private school, regardless of where they finished primary school.

School enables every pupil to develop their knowledge, skills and abilities in the best way possible.

The parents are entitled to choose the kind of education that their children will acquire in accordance with the possibilities of the child and provided that such a choice exercises the child's right to an appropriate education.

Age levels and grouping of students

A person who has finished primary school and cannot be older than 17 years enrolls in the first grade.

Persons who are enrolled in schools for pupils with special educational needs may have different age limit for entry into first grade.

Number of pupils in a class is determined in accordance with pedagogical standards. The optimum number of pupils in a class is 24. A school class may have a minimum of 16 pupils and a maximum of 32 pupils.

A class or educational group of pupils with special educational needs may have up to eight pupils, and in the case of pupils with multiple disabilities, classes may have up to six pupils.

Three pupils with special educational needs may be included in the regular teaching class. If a regular teaching class includes a pupil with special educational needs, such class may not have more than 29 pupils.

If a regular teaching class includes two pupils with special educational needs, such class may not have more than 26 pupils, and with three pupils with special educational needs, the class may not have more than 23 pupils.

Organisation of the school year

The school year runs from September 1 to August 31 of the following calendar year. Educational work in the general secondary school is carried out:

a) In I, II and III grade in 36 five-day teaching weeks and

b) In IV grade in 32 five-day teaching weeks.

Educational work in art schools is carried out:

a) In I, II and III grade in 35 five-day teaching weeks and

b) In IV grade in 33 five-day teaching weeks.

Classes and other forms of educational work are realized in two semesters. In the first semester classes begin the first Monday in September.

In the school year pupils have winter holidays lasting for three weeks, spring holidays lasting for one week and summer holidays which last from the end of classes in the second semester to the beginning of classes the following school year.

The Minister issues rules on the school calendar for each school year and publishes it at least 60 days prior to the start of the school year.

School may deviate from the adopted school calendar only for justifiable causes and with the approval of the Ministry.

Organisation of the school day and week

Daily load of pupils is regulated by the timetable and cannot exceed 30 hours per week. Classes normally begin at 7:30 am and end up by 7:00 pm.

In art schools, due to specific forms of teaching such as:

Individual lessons,

Choir courses,

Orchestra courses,

Courses of chamber music and similar.

Another deadline for the beginning and end of classes may be determined. Theory teaching hours, exercises and practical work in school takes 45 minutes. A class for pupils with special educational needs takes 40 minutes, if the classes are taught in separate departments. All forms of teaching for pupils are organized in one shift.

The Minister may, under exceptional circumstances, decide to extend or shorten the duration of hours in some or all of the schools.