Arnaut: Every child, in every part of BiH, should be allowed education without discrimination

(Patria) - The caucus of the Our Party - Independent Bloc in the state parliament has submitted an initiative instructing the Council of Ministers of BiH to ensure the study of the national group of subjects for every child who wishes to, the inscription of language names in school documents in accordance with the official names stated in the Dayton Agreement, and the abolition of all other forms of discrimination in schools in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

MP Damir Arnaut reminds that our country has undertaken numerous international obligations, and that discriminatory practices by entity and cantonal authorities lead to the international responsibility of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a state. "Therefore, it is necessary," emphasizes Arnaut, "to address this issue at the state level and insist that the Council of Ministers of BiH take an active role towards the entities and cantons - whose jurisdiction is education - with the aim of a systemic solution to this problem."

Namely, students of Serb nationality in Glamoč cannot attend classes in the national group of subjects and in the Serbian language, while Bosniak children in Kotor Varoš are still awaiting the execution of court rulings to enable them to have classes in the Bosnian language. The Croatian language is also often neglected, and in some areas, language names contrary to those stated in the Dayton Agreement are inscribed.

Particularly concerning are media reports that the Ombudsmen have closed the case despite clear indications of discrimination against children in Glamoč, but also that parents in despair state that the problem of the Serbian language "can be solved by Dodik with one call to Dragan Čović." The abdication of responsibility by any state institution is unacceptable, just as it is unacceptable for such issues to be resolved by phone calls between leaders of political parties.

For all these reasons, it is necessary for the Council of Ministers of BiH to begin fulfilling the international obligations of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and to take serious institutional steps to completely eradicate the practice of marking territories and the dominance of only one language in educational institutions and all other public bodies of the entities and cantons. All citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina deserve to be truly equal in every part of their country.