Bosnia and Herzegovina doesn’t have a state-level ministry of education. On a state level, the Ministry for Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina coordinates activities within all education institutions in the state: two at entity level (FBiH and RS), ten at cantonal level (FBiH), and one at district level (Brčko District). In general educational institutions music classes are included in preschool, primary and secondary education. At a preschool level, music education is mainly conducted through activities such as listening to music, singing, dancing and graphically representing sound and music. In primary compulsory schools, the subject Music Culture is present from grades 1-9, students mainly have it once a week with an exception to certain grades (twice a week, mostly in lower grades). In secondary schools – gymnasiums, the subject Music Culture, in general departments, is mainly taken in the first and second grade and students have it once a week. In other departments of the gymnasium they are held twice a week in the second grade and in some parts of the country once a week in grades 1-4. Apart from regular classes, students in primary compulsory schools and gymnasiums can develop their musical abilities in extracurricular activities in the school choir and orchestra.

The aim of music classes in the mentioned levels of education is to awaken the interests, love and development of a positive relationship towards music, the revelation and development of sensibility and musicality, as well as children’s creative and aesthetic abilities. Through the teaching of music, children acquire musical competencies, adopt the language of music through symbols, ideas and concepts, compare musical periods and styles, and get acquainted with the most significant musical achievements. Becoming acquainted with the music of their own culture, children build awareness of different, but equally worthy individuals, people, cultures, religions and traditions. Another task of teaching music is to reveal and develop children’s musicality with specific abilities; to develop a musical recollection and creativity, in order to for children to become independent and social; to encourage, develop and nurture children’s creativity in music by means of individual, group or collective music teaching.

Professional music education in Bosnia and Herzegovina: primary and secondary music schools. In addition to primary compulsory and secondary schools, students in Bosnia and Herzegovina can attend a primary or secondary school for music and ballet education. Classes in primary and secondary music schools are conducted as individual (instrument), group (vocational subjects) and collective (choir and orchestra). Primary music schools and primary ballet schools, which students attend parallel to a primary compulsory school, last a maximum of 6 years (5 for ballet school). Students at this level of education attend classes of a core subject – instruments which they have opted for, Solfeggio with Music Theory, as well as group musical classes – choir and orchestra. Prior to enrolment, students take an entrance examination. Some of the tasks of primary music and ballet education are to: educate students with the basic developmental rules of music; enable students for musical expression through voice and instruments, that is, through movement (dance); develop a positive attitude towards different forms of aesthetic creativity and the need to participate in the public and cultural life of the community.

Secondary music schools and ballet schools can also be attended parallel to another secondary school or individually in the duration of 4 years. Secondary music schools mainly offer two departments – a general/theoretical department and instrument department – for solo performers, and if the school has the capacities or legally provided possibilities, there may also be a department for ballet. Prior to enrolment, students take an entrance examination. Some of the tasks of secondary music and ballet education are to: enable students a systematic acquisition of general, vocationally-theoretical and practical knowledge of specific areas of music; contribute to the development of aesthetic culture and heighten the level of general and personal culture of a student; develop a positive attitude towards different forms of aesthetic creativity and the need to participate in public and cultural life of the community. Musical education in primary and secondary schools has a general main aim to develop knowledge, skills and other creative and aesthetic potentials to prepare students for a continued musical and professional development and schooling in institutions of higher education – Academies of Music.

If you have any questions about music in schools or music teacher education in this country, feel free to contact the national coordinator!