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Bosnia and Herzegovina

6. Education and Training

6.2 Administration and governance

Last update: 10 February 2026

Governance

The education system in Bosnia and Herzegovina is highly decentralized and administratively organized across three main levels: state, entity/district, and canton. Educational competencies are exercised at the entity level in Republika Srpska, at the district level in Brčko District, and at the cantonal level in Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The main decision-making bodies are:

At the state level, the Bosnia and Herzegovina Ministry of Civil Affairs is responsible for coordinating activities, harmonizing the plans of entity-level authorities, and defining strategies at the international level, including in the field of education. As the competent ministry at the state level, it operates in coordination with lower levels of government. The Education Department within the Bosnia and Herzegovina Ministry of Civil Affairs consists of four units: Unit for European Integration and International Cooperation, Unit for Coordination of Education Policies, Unit for Mobility and Youth and Unit for Statistics, Analysis, and Reporting. The key legal instruments regulating education at the state level are:

In addition to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the following state-level agencies operate in direct coordination with lower levels of government:

  1. Agency for Preschool, Primary and Secondary Education – an independent administrative body established under the Law on the Agency for Preschool, Primary and Secondary Education.

  2. Agency for Development of Higher Education and Quality Assurance – established under the Framework Law on Higher Education in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

  3. Centre for Information and Recognition of Qualifications in Higher Education (CIP) – also established under the Framework Law on Higher Education as an independent administrative body.

The ministries responsible for all levels of formal education and adult education in Republika Srpska are:

These institutions operate under the following entity-level laws: Law on Preschool Education, Law on Primary Education, Law on Secondary Education, Law on Higher Education and Law on Adult Education.

The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Ministry of Education and Science performs a coordinating role, while each of the 10 cantonal ministries of education is responsible for implementing cantonal laws regulating: preschool education, primary education, secondary education, higher education and adult education. In line with their constitutional responsibilities, cantons independently regulate education policy, financing, and legislation. Education is governed by relevant cantonal laws and regulations, and cantonal ministries are generally responsible for education, and in many cases, also for science, culture, and sports. The size, administrative capacity, and scope of responsibilities of cantonal ministries vary across cantons.

In Brčko District, the Department for Education is responsible for implementing the following laws:

Municipal Level - municipalities have varying degrees of responsibility in the education sector, as defined by relevant education laws and regulations. These responsibilities typically include: 

  • Organizing the educational process, 

  • Maintenance and infrastructure of school facilities, 

  • Participation in developing parts of the curriculum relevant to the local community, and

  • Financial support for education. 

Although some municipalities have been assigned broader competencies, their implementation is often hindered by limited financial resources.

At both the entity and district levels, within the relevant ministries or departments, there are specialized sectors and pedagogical institutions responsible for planning and coordinating overarching development strategies in the areas of preschool, primary, and secondary education. Their roles include the harmonization of education and textbook policies, recognition and equivalence of educational qualifications, and adult education. These departments/institutions are also tasked with proposing systemic solutions, appropriate measures, and implementation activities; assessing the state of infrastructure and quality of conditions for delivering the educational process; and cooperating with the competent authorities at other levels of governance.

Non-formal education of young people in Bosnia and Herzegovina is defined through the Volunteering and Youth Laws, both of which exist at the entity and district levels. These legal frameworks provide the basis for the development of youth policies and strategies at the corresponding and lower administrative levels, which include provisions on non-formal education.

Three umbrella youth bodies and their member organizations rely on these regulations in performing their advocacy role in all processes related to the development of frameworks for youth education and training in Bosnia and Herzegovina. These documents and aspects of non-formal education are further elaborated in other relevant chapters.

Cross-sectoral cooperation

At the level of Bosnia and Herzegovina, several advisory and coordination bodies have been established to support the development, harmonization, and implementation of education and youth policies: