The Republika Srpska (RS) entity’s Pedagogical Institute has revised the history curriculum for ninth-grade students in primary schools across this Bosnian entity. According to published images of the curriculum, ninth-grade students will now be taught about Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic, not as war criminals convicted of genocide and crimes against humanity, but as commanders and war heroes.
This revision has sparked significant controversy, particularly from international bodies. The United States Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina responded to the curriculum change in a statement to N1, condemning the politicization of education.
“It is irresponsible to politicize education and undermine mutual trust and understanding among future generations in Bosnia and Herzegovina. There is no place in public discourse for language that promotes intolerance and sows division, including in the teaching of history. Genocide denial and the glorification of convicted war criminals are shameful,” the Embassy stated.
The US Embassy further warned that such a curriculum would prolong the suffering of victims from all ethnic groups and their families, educate future generations on false historical narratives, undermine reconciliation efforts, and jeopardize the stability of BiH. They emphasized that war crime convictions highlight individual responsibility and do not implicate entire ethnic groups.
“Authorities have a responsibility to refrain from divisive rhetoric. We call on all institutions at all levels of government in BiH to take concrete steps to promote reconciliation, focus on necessary reforms, and make progress for the benefit of all citizens of BiH,” the Embassy urged.
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) also weighed in on the issue. Referring to its 2023 report, “History Teaching Materials on 1992-1995 in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Building Trust or Deepening Divides?”, the OSCE criticized the unilateral development and introduction of nationalistic narratives about the 1990s war, which it said threatens critical reforms in history teaching.
The OSCE noted that politicians and education authorities across BiH continue to undermine the effective teaching of history, which is essential for social cohesion and understanding. By promoting biased accounts of the war, especially regarding the portrayal of heroes and victims, they perpetuate divisions and obscure the complex roots of the violence while hindering accountability for wartime atrocities.
The OSCE emphasized that to engage critically with these difficult legacies, education authorities and historians in BiH must collaborate openly on the role and purpose of history education.
“Political leaders should promote and enable education authorities to open an honest dialogue as the first step in establishing common and accurate approaches to teaching the sensitive history of the 1992-1995 war,” the OSCE stated.
Such efforts, they argued, would demonstrate a commitment to prioritizing student learning outcomes over divisive political narratives and individual ambitions.
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