Reform of General Education in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Banja Luka , BiH - October 2004
 


A third seminar for the whole coordination group was organised in Banja Luka , with a view to review the documents, which the five working groups produced to date.

 

CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK

 

The main issues/aspects to be considered for improving the content and editorial aspects of the document (new model of a modern Curriculum Framework) the groups agreed upon were as follows:

 

  • The structure of the Framework changes according to the new division of chapters and annexes, which is presentedbelow;
    • Introduction : Although it has to be short, it should be also explaining clearly what the curriculum comprises of (to explain what a ‘curriculum system’ is that comprises of Curriculum Frameworks, syllabuses, textbooks and other teaching and learning aids) and the role the Curriculum Framework plays within the overall ‘curriculum system’. The Introduction should also explain clearly why a new curriculum is needed (and how it will help students to improve their learning), in what context, and what are the main directions for change, which value existing local good practices and international developments over the lasts decades.
    • Chapter 1 - Principles of the education system in BiH and education aims (general; and specific aims for primary and secondary): It was agreed to bring together in this chapter the issues of the general principles based on which the education system in BiH is built upon (such as access, equity, mobility, fairness) and the general aims of education in BiH, as well as the specific aims of primary and secondary education. For this, different parts of the previous chapter on the Education Structure (Chapter 5 of version 2 – which was removed to Annexes in version 3) will have to be recovered. In addition, one has to also explain that currently, owing to the political and administrative situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina resulting from the Dayton agreement, there are several education systems in BiH that are under the authority of the education governing bodies at entity and cantonal level. Thus, a discussion of common education aims for Bosnia and Herzegovina as a whole constitutes a real need in terms of harmonizing education and providing the basis for coherent approaches and mobility of students in Bosnia and Herzegovina .
    • Chapter 2 - The concept of learning and principles of developing the curriculum. This chapter was still missing in the overall economy of the document (except the part referring to the principles of developing the new curriculum that was addressed in version 3, Chapter 1 – previous chapter on ‘Principles of the education system, education aims, and principles of developing the new curriculum’). This chapter should now address the concept of learning that the new curriculum is privileging: how students learn and how they learn better; based on this, this chapter should then discuss the principles of developing the new curriculum (and explain them), such as learner-centredness, flexibility, student-friendliness, differentiation, modernization of teaching and learning content and methodology in compliance with relevant developments in today’s world.
    • Chapter 3 – The content and structure of the curriculum: the common core curriculum and school-based curriculum, and learning outcomes . Owing to its’ central status in the overall economy of the document, this chapter was revised comprehensively with the entire group (members of groups 2 and 3 for primary and secondary education). While documents such as the Framework Law and the White Paper are defining the ‘common core curriculum’, they also refer to what schools are entitled to do in terms of curriculum decisions. Yet, the issue of school autonomy in terms of curriculum decisions is not yet commonly approached in BiH – in some entities and cantons schools are entitled to develop a school-based part of the curriculum, while in other situations the curriculum is regulated only from the entity and cantonal level, and schools have little or no autonomy at all (they can only be creative in terms of methodology, but not in terms of content selection and organization). Thus, there is a clear need of addressing in this chapter both the ‘common core curriculum’ and the ‘school-based curriculum’ issue, as to define what could/should be regulated at central level (state, entity, cantons) and what can schools do in terms of content selection and organization.

 

In addition, since the ‘common core curriculum’ is defined to date rather in terms of learning areas and subjects, time allocation and ‘common/compulsory topics’ within certain subjects, and not in terms of common learning outcomes for all students in Bosnia and Herzegovina, it is necessary to define the ‘common core curriculum’ also in terms of learning outcomes. This will actually represent a real shift towards a modernized approach in curriculum development, that complements the more ‘traditional’ approach of defining the ‘common core curriculum’ in terms of subjects, time allocation, and compulsory topics to be learned by all students in school all over Bosnia and Herzegovina.

 

Suggested (main) divisions for Chapter 3:

 

  • Definition of the curriculum
  • Common core curriculum and school-based curriculum
    • Common Core Curriculum (explained not only in terms of topics, but also in terms of student outcomes): what are the principles of structuring it (broad learning areas, curriculum integration, thematic approach, etc.)
    • School-based curriculum: what does it contain and what can school offer to students as part of the school-based programme
  • Learning outcomes: main categories of learning outcomes; how different learning areas contribute to the achievement of these learning outcomes in primary and secondary education
  • Cross-curriculum dimensions: objectives, issues/themes, approaches
    Differentiated learning: how is the curriculum catering for differentiated learning (respecting individual learning styles, individual needs and interests, local conditions)
  • Ideas for curriculum innovation at school level
  • Examples of CURRICULUM TIMETABLES: primary and secondary education, with all the explanation.
  • Chapter 4 - Guidelines for syllabus development. This chapter was appraised as well done – the editorial team should only illustrate (give examples of) concrete ways to deal with the writing of different parts of a syllabus. In addition, they should also present other possible syllabus templates, based on the previous discussion the group had in Jahorina (1-3 September 2004), as to make clear that, as in the case of the Curriculum Framework, the syllabuses have to address the issue of content selection and organization from the point of view of what the learning outcomes are, too.
  • Chapter 5 - Teacher and student roles and activities in the context of implementing the new curriculum. Although ‘methodological’ issues were addressed in version 2 within the main text of the Curriculum Framework model, in version 3 they were removed to Annexes (especially because the respective chapter was dealing mainly with only general aspects of the relationships between students and teachers). It was now agreed to reintroduce the issues of the roles teachers and students have in the implementation of the curriculum to the main text of the Framerok. This chapter will address the issues of what teachers’ activities could be, and what students’ activities could be, in implementing a learner-centred approach, based on balancing traditional methods and modern approaches, such as interactive strategies.
  • Chapter 6 - Links between curriculum, assessment and certification. This chapter was suggested to be reorganised in compliance with the following structure:
  • What is assessment and what is its’ place in the overall education process
  • What are the links between curriculum, assessment and certification
  • The present state-of-the-arts (survey outcomes)
  • The new assessment philosophy: principles of modern assessment - what should teachers pay attention to (why, how, what and when to assess)
  • Assessment types and procedures: how to apply the new philosophy into practice.
  • Chapter 7 – Guidelines for implementation . This chapter will deal with broad orientations concerning the implementation of the new curriculum, such as the issue of gradual implementation (steps, timelines) and the issues of assuring the pre-conditions for successful implementation, such as appropriate teacher training, school- and classroom management, and improvements of the teachers’ status and of school equipping and facilities.

 

Annexes:

 

  • Education structure (especially the issues of implementing the 9 years of compulsory education)
  • List of pedagogical/curriculum terms (working definitions of different terms used in the documents): terms such as curriculum, core curriculum, knowledge, skills, attitudes, student competencies, learning outcomes, ICT, access, quality, equity, accountability, (school) autonomy, higher level intellectual skills, learner-centred approaches, learning environment, interactive pedagogy, standards (to be clear about what we mean by standards – there are so many possible meanings to deal with), principles of developing the curriculum, syllabus, learning styles, differentiation of learning, education pillars, assessment, certification, and many others
  • Lists of abbreviations
  • List of background documents (Such as the White Paper, the Framework Law and others)


FOLLOW UP

 

  • A comprehensively revised fourth draft of the new model of a modern Curriculum Framework for BiH will be delivered to the EU Education team by 26 October, 2004 .
  • The division of tasks for the comprehensive revision of the Curriculum Framework is mentioned in the Working Group 2 and 3 .
  • A fourth workshop for the whole co-ordination group will be organised in November 2004. In this workshop, the five different working groups should report on discussions with and feedback received from the different Ministries, based on presenting and sharing their respective revised documents.