Governance

The education system in BiH is highly decentralised and administratively organised across three main levels: state, entity/district, and canton. Educational competencies are exercised at the entity level in RS, at the district level in BD, and at the cantonal level in FBiH.

The main decision-making bodies are:

• RS Ministry of Education and Culture,
• Department for Education in the BD Government , and
• 10 cantonal ministries of education in FBiH.

At the state level, the BiH Ministry of Civil Affairs is responsible for coordinating activities, harmonising 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 Sector within the BiH 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:

• Framework Law on Preschool Education in BiH,
• Framework Law on Primary and Secondary Education in BiH,
• Framework Law on Secondary Vocational Education and Training in BiH,
• Framework Law on Higher Education in BiH.

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 BiH.
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 RS are:

• Ministry of Education and Culture
• Ministry of Scientific and Technological Development and Higher Education

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 FBiH 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 BD, the Department for Education is responsible for implementing the following laws:

• Law on Primary and Secondary Education in BD BiH,
• Law on Higher Education in the BD BiH,
• Law on Adult Education in the BD BiH,
• Law on Preschool Education in the BD BiH.

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

• Organising 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 specialised 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 BiH is defined through the Law on Volunteering and the Law on Youth, 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 organisations rely on these legal acts in performing their advocacy role in all processes related to the development of frameworks for youth education and training in BiH. These documents and aspects of non-formal education are further elaborated in other relevant chapters.

Cross-sectoral cooperation

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

• Conference of Ministers of Education in BiH – serves as a platform for policy coordination among all relevant education authorities at the state, entity, cantonal, and district levels.
• Council for General Education in BiH – provides expert advice and contributes to the development of standards and frameworks for general education.
• Rectors’ Conference of BiH – facilitates cooperation among public universities and represents the interests of the higher education sector in policy dialogue and reform processes.
• Coordination Forum in the Field of Education – brings together representatives of relevant ministries, agencies, and institutions to ensure coherence and mutual alignment in education planning and implementation.
• Coordination Forum in the Field of Youth – coordinated by the BiH Ministry of Civil Affairs in partnership with international organisations implementing youth-related projects; the forum serves to enhance information exchange, collaboration, and synergy across programmes.
• Commission for the Coordination of Youth Issues – addresses intersectoral and interinstitutional matters related to youth policy and supports the alignment of youth-related measures across administrative levels.