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Eurydice

EACEA National Policies Platform:Eurydice

Bosnia and Herzegovina

There are several secondary school variations that differ from the most common public secondary schools:

Art school - educates students through a general education program and a special program in music, ballet or fine arts for a period of four years in order to obtain an appropriate vocation and to continue their education at higher education institutions.

The curriculum of the art school determines the relationship between general education content and part of program content for education in a particular field of art.

Key Features of the Education System

BiH consists of two entities (Republika Srpska and Federation of BiH) and Brcko district of BiH.

The education sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina reflects the state constitution. It is defined by the BiH Constitution, the constitutions of the entities, cantons, and the Statute of Brčko District of BiH, which govern legal competencies in education.

1. Akademsko priznavanje - Academic recognition

2. Akreditacija – accreditation

A procedure of acknowledgment of validity of study programs i.e. of an institution, their sustainability to the existing standard of quality and the labor market and certificate ensuring the right to an institution to confer degrees for education, profession or vocation.

3. Akreditaciono tijelo - Accreditation body

4. Andragog – andragogue (Expert on adult education and training)

2026

During February 2026, Bosnia and Herzegovina signed protocols on harmonizing the national qualifications framework (NQF) with European standards as part of the Berlin process. In March 2026, public hearings on the new Adult Education Act were held in the Republic of Srpska. Major newspapers include:
- Validation of informal learning: Introducing a system solution by which workers can test and officially confirm skills acquired through work experience, without attending full retraining.

2026

The new Norms and Standards for the work of higher education institutions in the Canton of Sarajevo were adopted at the session of the Government of the Canton of Sarajevo held in March 2026. This document was adopted in order to ensure the consistent application of the Law on Higher Education and to more precisely define the conditions that faculties must meet in terms of space, equipment and teaching staff. 

2026

The Law on Preschool Education and Upbringing of the Republika Srpska was published in November 2025 (Official Gazette of the RS, No. 100/2025), which aligns the age limit for children to enter the education system with the duration of maternity leave.

2025

Revised Law on Preschool Education and Upbringing of the Tuzla Canton ("Official Gazette of the Tuzla Canton", No. 10/2020 - consolidated text, 5/2022, 5/2025 and 18/2025).

 

This chapter provides a thematic and chronological overview of national reforms and policy developments since 2021. The introduction of the chapter describes the overall education strategy and the key objectives across the whole education system. It also looks at how the education reform process is organized and who are the main actors in the decision-making process. The section on ongoing reforms and policy developments groups reforms in the following broad thematic areas that largely correspond to education levels: