The Republika Srpska (RS) entity Pedagogical Institute has the legal authority to propose curricula, which the Ministry of Education and Culture then approves, said the Institute director Sladjana Tanasic responding to the criticism from both international officials and local politicians regarding the revision of the history curriculum for ninth-grade students in the RS. The new curriculum includes teaching about Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic, not as war criminals, but as "commanders and war heroes."
Tanasic explained that while there are no new textbooks, the history curriculum for both the eighth and ninth grades has been revised. She highlighted that the curriculum features topics similar to the previous one, with particular attention given to the subject of the RS and the recent war. According to Tanasic, this topic has attracted significant attention in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) entity. She stressed, “Our history is what it is, and we have an obligation to mention those who were part of that history.”
She further elaborated that it is completely normal for students to be informed about history and the events that shaped their community. According to Tanasic, the objective is for students “not to hate anyone, to know their history, to know who they are and where they come from, and to accept those who have different views on the past.”
In response to the curriculum changes, the Party of Democratic Action (SDA) described the decision as an “anti-civilizational act” by RS authorities, criticizing the portrayal of Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic as heroes. The party warned that this is a continuation of aggressive Serb nationalism, which now seeks to influence children through the education system. They called on the Office of the High Representative (OHR) to intervene and annul the decision.
Additionally, the US Embassy stated that this kind of curriculum not only prolongs the suffering of victims but also threatens the stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The OSCE also expressed concerns, stating that the curriculum obscures the complex roots of the violence and creates an obstacle to holding those responsible for war crimes accountable.
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