Number of graduates in BiH has tripled since 2003, but we haven't moved an inch since 2010

The number of graduated students in BiH has tripled since 2013 until today, but in the last four years the figure has stagnated, hovering around 18,000 students annually who receive diplomas from some higher education institution in the country, writes the BiH news agency Patria.

According to data from the Agency for Statistics, the country had just over 6,000 graduates in 2003. Then the number tripled by 2010, meaning it grew to over 18,000 students who graduated that year. However, after that, everything began to stagnate, and the situation has remained approximately the same until today.

Former rector of the University of Sarajevo, Hasan Muratović, warned in an interview for Patria in early February this year that the number of graduates in BiH is very small, even to the extent that it is alarming. The state, Muratović believes, must urgently provide free education to citizens in order to at least double the number of highly educated people in BiH in the coming years.

- Only 20 to 30% of young people study in BiH, which is devastating for our country if we compare ourselves to some developed countries where up to 80% of students go on to higher education after secondary school – warned Muratović.

However, it is not only necessary to work on increasing the number of students in BiH. Experts warn that it is necessary to simultaneously work on increasing the quality of knowledge, by introducing practical work in the fields for which students are being trained. Also, study habits in BiH need to change. Namely, in BiH, a large number of students finish their studies with their parents financing their education. Experts warn that many students in BiH get diplomas, but practically have no knowledge in that field, and especially do not follow modern world trends.

Only the data from the non-governmental organization BHV Education is encouraging, which claims that every year more and more students from BiH are interested in studying abroad, where they not only gain knowledge in certain fields, but also improve foreign languages and foster work habits, writes Patria.