The results of a successfully finalised project Strengthening Institutional Capacity of the BiH Agency for Pre-primary, Primary and Secondary Education, implemented with EU funding, were presented at the final conference in Mostar on 11 September.
The project started last year in order to strengthen the competencies of consultants of the Agency and its institutional strengthening in achieving high quality education across BiH, which will be on the level of a European educational platform.
”What is most important for the entire educational system is that, for the first time in recent history, the work is being done on a common core curricula based on learning outcomes rather than just content. So far, educational institutions have followed a content driven programme, but now work will be done on the development of skills and knowledge that will be functional for children, so that children will not learn just for getting high grades but will have a functional knowledge that will be applicable in real life“ said Maja Stojkic, Director of the BiH Agency for Pre-school, Primary and Secondary Education and Project Leader.
As with other twinning programmes that connect professional bodies dealing with the same issues, this project linked the Institute of Education, the State Testing Centre and the Centre for Professional Education from Slovenia and the BiH Agency for Pre-school, Primary and Secondary Education who implemented the project as a consortium.
”The main message…is that a system with synergies across Bosnia and Herzegovina could be set up, because children are the future of each country. I sincerely hope that these systems will be implemented because they were already tested in Slovenia and have brought good results“ said Iztok Grmek, Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia to BiH.
The EU has funded this project to the value of 500,000 Euros.
”We are really pleased with the results of the project. There are funds under IPA 2012 to continue the project and we hope that the next project will help in bringing better general education reforms and implementation of baccalaureate. Most importantly, this project has a practical continuity.“ said Jadranka Mihić, Programme Manager for Health and Education in the EU Delegation to BiH.
