INITIATIVE: Provide free preschool education in the next school year in HNC

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - An initiative of citizens of Mostar has asked the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of HNC to show they care about the future of this beautiful region and local communities by ensuring free preschool education in the year before starting school for all children of the Canton/County.

This would, the citizens say, create a precondition for motivating young couples to start their families and build their future here, not abroad. 

The Minister soon responded that the drafting and adoption of a law on preschool education was planned, but it was slowed down by COVID-19, guidelines in the field of protection during the pandemic, guidelines of the working body for harmonising the ICF assessment system, and guidelines from the Local Action Plan for Roma. 

The remainder of the initiative is transmitted in full: 

"Dear Minister, we fully understand that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way educational institutions under your jurisdiction operate, but education cannot stop and cannot wait for better times or the end of the pandemic.

The Herzegovina-Neretva Canton is the only canton that does not respect the law and legal regulations adopted at the level of the state of BiH, which concern preschool education. 

The Framework Law on Preschool Education in Bosnia and Herzegovina was adopted back in 2007 and to this day, after almost fifteen years, it has not been implemented in practice. 

Article 51 of the Framework Law on Preschool Education in BiH (Obligation to adopt harmonised laws) stipulates that within six months from the date of entry into force of this law, the Republika Srpska, the cantons in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Brčko District are obliged to adopt their own laws and harmonise them with this law. 

When will our canton act according to the provisions of Article 51 of the Framework Law on Preschool Education in Bosnia and Herzegovina? 

Claims that the Ministry had planned the drafting and adoption of a new law on preschool education and that the Covid-19 pandemic prevented them from doing so are not a reason not to work on improving preschool education, because children's education cannot wait for the end of the pandemic, especially not preschool children, who have been completely neglected by this ministry.

From elected government representatives, including you as minister, the least we expect is the inclusion in the Canton's Budget and financing of those 100-150 mandatory hours for preschool children, as other ministries in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina have resolved. 

We expect the problem of financing preschool educational institutions in HNC to be resolved by the beginning of the new school year (2021-2022) and that preschool children realise their right defined by the Law (Article 51).

As ordinary citizens, mothers, parents of our city and canton, we claim that preschool education is a very important, primary segment in the educational process of preschool children.

Unfortunately, the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, which you have been heading for more than six years, despite so many experts in the field of education, has completely neglected the execution of tasks for which it was established, which includes, among other things, preschool education, to which you attach no importance. 

The obvious inaction of you through the ministry in the segment of preschool education has brought our canton to the bottom of the list in this regard. 

Deeply disappointed with your approach, we once again call on you to pay attention to preschool education, adopt concrete measures, and ensure that all children of this canton realise their right defined by the BiH Law of 2007 (Article 51) before the start of the school year (2021/2022).

We hope you will finally take preschool education seriously! 

Sincerely, Initiative of Citizens of Mostar".

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For the record:
The launched initiatives refer to free preschool education for all children of the City of Mostar, as well as the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton. Aware of the importance of preschool education, the launched initiative aims to draw the attention of authorities, both at the city and cantonal level, to equal opportunities for preschool education for all children, regardless of financial status and place of residence. Through fieldwork, the women from IGM have noticed a mismatch between the education of staff for preschool education, more precisely the urgent need for the production of staff to work in preschool educational institutions, and the burning issue - financing preschool educational institutions at both the city and cantonal levels.

In this way, women, on the occasion of March 8, are trying to draw public attention to crucial topics for the development of society and equal opportunities for preschool education for all children.