Education capacity and staffing shortages in Bosnia and Herz

Bosnia and Herzegovina is experiencing capacity and staffing challenges across different levels of the educational system.

An information report from the Council of Ministers regarding the 2025 implementation of the Framework Law on Preschool Education revealed that 9,964 children are waiting for preschool placements. While enrollment increased by 5.4 percent for the 2025/2026 pedagogical year, shortages are most acute in rural and socioeconomically underdeveloped regions. The report also noted that legislative alignment for preschool education remains incomplete.

In the Unsko-sanska Canton, the crisis has extended to primary education due to a critical shortage of teachers. In municipalities such as Bihać and Velika Kladuša, some permanent positions have received zero applicants. Specific deficits have been reported in subjects including biology, chemistry, physics, geography, and informatics. School officials have pointed to regulatory barriers that prevent certain highly educated individuals from teaching, prompting the relevant ministry to propose larger scholarships for students in deficit subjects.