WORKBOOK ON HERITAGE OF BOSNIAN NATIONAL MINORITIES PRESENTED IN SARAJEVO

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (March 3,2008) – “The increased focus on national minorities in mainstream education will increase the visibility of national minority issues in Bosnia, and create space for a new voice in Bosnian society and politics”, said Claude Kieffer, Director of OSCE Mission to Bosnia Education Department, at the meeting in Vogosca.

The representatives of the OSCE, the Office of the High Commissioner on National Minorities, 17 national minorities, Ministries of Civil Affairs, Human Rights and Refugees, and Education, as well as CIVITAS attended the launch of the project on the development of a Student Workbook on the Origins, Culture, Heritage and Traditions of the National Minorities of Bosnia.

The aim is to develop an informative and engaging teaching aid, which will consist of a workbook and a supplementary CD/DVD about the culture and ethnic diversity of the country, for pupils of grades 4 to 6.

“The envisioned workbook will provide the national minorities with an exceptional opportunity to present their rich cultural heritage to the youth of Bosnia”, stated Kieffer.

“National minorities’ representatives will form a Working Group, and develop the Student Workbook with an experienced textbook writer. Their contribution will be fully taken into account, as it should be in projects such as this,” Kieffer said.

It is planned that the material from the Workbook will be used as a part of the existing school curriculum by the end of 2008/2009 school year. Primary school teachers will be trained to use the textbook as supplementary material to be embedded in a number of existing disciplines, such as History, Geography, and Civic Education.

The project was developed by the OSCE Mission to Bosnia.
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