Press conference “Monitoring and analysis of the implementation of the Criteria for school names and signs”

For the purpose of presenting the results of the monitoring and the analysis of the implementation of the Criteria for school names and signs, a Press conference was held on August 26, 2008, on the premises of Association Vesta in Tuzla.

The project "Monitoring and analysis of the implementation of the Criteria for school names and signs," financed by the European Union (contract no. 2007/144-336), is implemented by the Local Democracy Foundation, in cooperation with partner organizations: Vesta-Tuzla, Women's Association-Banja Luka and Terca-Mostar. The project was implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Ministry of Education and Culture of Republika Srpska and the Federal Ministry of Education and Science, and with the support of the Department of Education of the Government of the Brčko District, the OSCE and the Ministry of Education of Cantons 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 9.

The objective of the project implementation was to perform on-the-spot monitoring of primary and secondary schools in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and determine if the Criteria for school names and signs are being met in accordance with the Temporary Agreement on Fulfilling Returnee Children's Special Needs and Rights of 2002, adopted for the purpose of ensuring returnees' constitutional rights and their children's right to an adequate education.

The monitoring process was supervised and realized by the four above-mentioned non-governmental organizations from four administrative centres (Sarajevo, Mostar, Banja Luka and Tuzla). The monitoring was performed by multi-ethnic teams (consisting of members of the three constitutional ethnic groups), and each team was assigned an area in both Republika Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The teams received equal training in the techniques of conducting interviews and observations, thus ensuring impartiality and objectivity during their visits to all available schools.

The part of project activities concerned with field work lasted from February 11 to June 15, 2008, and was implemented in the area of entire Reublika Srpska, the Brčko District and eight cantons (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 9) in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Access to schools was ensured on the territory of entire Republika Srpska, the Brčko District and eight cantons in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (whose authorities informed all schools in their area of jurisdiction about the interviewers' arrival and the need to provide them with requested data).

Despite several attempts of the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Local Democracy Foundation, the OSCE and the Federal Ministry of Education and Science to obtain a form of consent, either oral or in writing, from the authorized bodies, the West Herzegovina Canton (8) and the Livno Canton (10) withheld their consent. Consequently, this area was not included in the analysis of the findings.

The final report - the bulletin "Analysis of the implementation of the Criteria for school names and signs" will be presented to the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina in early September 2008. Another presentation will be held in middle September 2008 for entity and cantonal ministries, for the purpose of eliminating discriminatory practices in the area of education.