Educational segregation and discrimination in Bosnia and Herzegovina and critical peace; transgression of ethnic-ideological utilization of youth

Year 2022, Volume: 3 Issue: 2, 25 - 42, 30.06.2022

Faruk Hadžić

Abstract

The paper examines the ontological and normative origins of the "Two schools under one roof" phenomena (existing for decades but negligibly elaborated), particularly the broader multidisciplinary approach to the educational framework- legislative, future sociopolitical relations, critical peace, and the youth's psychosocial well-being. Finally, this paper determines these phenomena as a spectrum of sociopolitical coercion and competition affecting the peacebuilding and state-building process. The manuscript argues that segregation and discrimination in education are indisputable within the legislative democratic legitimacy of the ethnopolitical exploitation, designating individualism over the survival of shared collectivism, disregarding society's ethics and morality in the educational enlightenment process. It is objectionable that the temporary solutions - organizational units of the "two schools under one roof" model established in 1997, held in addition to the fulfillment of all until the present day, representing the potential and capacity to preserve the ethnopolitical power and reproduce destructive practices of ethnopolitics. The paradigm "Two schools under one roof" does not respect diversity and does not contribute to youth's individual development within critical judgment, attitudes, and multicultural/interreligious perceptions. Ethnoreligious collectivism rises above individualism and does not liberate the human capacity to build a democratic society. The inclusive education movement should build a democratic, inclusive, multiethnic, and multireligious society. Education has elevated strength and significant power and should be used for the good of society. Educational diversity inclusion is the intention for both a moral and ethical society. Educational segregation and discrimination create, intensify, and rationalize ethnoreligious disputes. The change of education from a cognitive segregated ethnopolitical matrix to a school organized according to the measure of "human enlightenment" is long-term and the most critical path in order not only to provide a good ground for educational inclusion satisfying the students' needs but the future of multicultural moral and ethical society. It reflects in brought up and educated non-ethnonationalism and non-xenophobes individuals- personalities in fragile post-conflict Balkan societies. Any form of segregation cannot be abolished without changing the Constitution, so every other form of solution will produce additional intricacies. Affirmative indications of the adverse effects of B&H educational policies, ethnopolitical ideologies, philosophies, and ethnopolitical nonobjective party interests are required. Those policies obstruct critical peace and conflict transformation processes and potential initiatives necessary to establish peace, conflict resolution, and nonviolence. Peace education and inter- ethnic communication can reduce disagreement sentiments ("enemy") between ethnoreligious groups, maintained by ethnopolitical separation propaganda.

Keywords

Educational segregation, Two schools under one roof, Legislation, Western Balkans & Bosnia and Herzegovina, Peace and Conflict, Discrimination, Ethnopolitics, Ethics, Enlightenment, Youth, Peace education

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