Teacher shortages threaten primary education in Unsko-sanska Canton

The Unsko-sanska Canton in Bosnia and Herzegovina is facing a critical shortage of teachers in primary schools, threatening the continuity and quality of education. In areas such as Bihać and Velika Kladuša, school administrators report that job openings for permanent positions often receive zero applicants.

At the Harmani 2 Primary School in Bihać, which serves over 800 students, Principal Nermina Delić noted a chronic lack of classroom teachers and informatics instructors. A recent recruitment process for a permanent informatics position yielded no candidates. Similarly, the 25. novembar Primary School in Velika Kladuša reports deficits in biology, chemistry, physics, geography, and informatics.

School officials are calling for systemic reforms. Principal Veldina Alibegić highlighted that current regulations prevent highly educated individuals with natural science and mathematics backgrounds from teaching, as they are not officially recognized as qualified teaching staff under existing laws. In response, the relevant ministry has announced plans to offer larger scholarships for students in deficit teaching subjects to address the crisis.