Rebuilding education in Kosovo

Five years after the end of the war, the role of education in Kosovo’s politically charged environment remains controversial. The viewpoints of Kosovar Albanians, Serbs and international educationalists rarely meet. What lessons does the innovative experiment in educational reconstruction in Kosovo offer other post-war states?

A book from the World Bank and UNESCO’s International Institute for Educational Planning examines how the United Nations Interim Administration in Kosovo (UNMIK) has planned and managed education there since 1999. The authors show how education policies and practices have been shaped by history and political stalemate.

The book examines:

• tension between the need to resume schooling using existing resources, institutions and curricula and the urge to reform and modernise
• the problems that arise when an outside authority assumes the leadership role in education and initiates reform but takes insufficient time to build trust
• the gap between the policies, plans and strategies developed at the central level and their impact at the school and community level
• educational access, particularly issues related to ethnicity and gender
• curriculum development and reform and the concerns, needs and development of Kosovo’s teachers.

When the UN arrived in Kosovo, education had virtually ceased. The international community inherited two debilitated education management systems – one Albanian, one Serbian. Under donor pressure to achieve quick results, Kosovo managed to get 80 percent of primary and junior secondary school­ pupils back in school within three months.

Since then, most unqualified teachers have been replaced or retained. The process of realigning the educational structure with European norms is underway. However, there are still high drop-out rates between primary and secondary school, particularly in the case of girls, ethnic minorities and children in rural areas. Higher education remains in crisis.

UNMIK assigned core tasks to international agencies and effectively sidelined experienced Serbian and Albanian education leaders. Many dedicated Kosovar educators withdrew from direct involvement in the management and reform of the system and instead were snapped up by non-governmental organisations.

While UNICEF and other donors and non-governmental organisations deserve credit for delivering learning materials and resources to rebuild school buildings, the achievements were largely due to the resourcefulness of Kosovar communities. Most did not wait for the international community and quickly set about occupying school buildings, clearing them of debris and organising catch-up classes.

The reconstruction of education in Kosovo is a remarkable achievement that demonstrates the dedication of the people of Kosovo and the international community. However, it is important to note that:

• Education systems with roots in the past have remarkable resilience and cannot be easily displaced.
• Training in conflict prevention, mitigation and resolution and promotion of coexistence initiatives is vital.
• UN managers should not only deal with hard-line politicians but must encourage the participation of pragmatic non-elite educators.

The challenge in post-conflict states is to strike a balance between tradition and change. System change takes time, even in circumstances where resources are relatively plentiful. Conflicts can create unusual opportunities to introduce changes that – with time, patience and local involvement – can transform education systems.

Source(s):
‘Parallel worlds: rebuilding the education system in Kosovo’, UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning, by Marc Sommers and Peter Buckland 2004 Full document.

Funded by: UNESCO, World Bank

id21 Research Highlight: 6 April 2005

Further Information:
Peter Buckland
Senior Education Specialist
World Bank
1818 H. Street, NW.
Washington D.C. 20433
USA

Tel: +1 202 458-4383
Fax: +1 202 477-0036
Contact the contributor: Pbuckland@worldbank.org

World Bank

Marc Sommers
African Studies Center
Boston University
270 Bay State Road
Boston, Massachusetts 02215
USA

Contact the contributor: msommers@bu.edu

African Studies Center, Boston University, USA

Chris Talbot
UNESCO
International Institute for Educational Planning
9 rue Eugéne Delacroix
75116 Paris
France

Tel: +33 1.45 03 77 00
Fax: +33 1.40 72 83 66
Contact the contributor: c.talbot@iiep.unesco.org

International Institute for Educational Planning

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'Emergency tactics: education in crisis situations'

'Peace by piece: NGOs and peace building in Liberia'

'Home-based teachers and schooling for girls in Afghanistan'

'Post-conflict education: what are the prospects for co-ordination and local ownership?'

Education in Emergencies and Reconstruction - Resources from Forced Migration Online

'Education in Emergencies: Afghanistan and other hotspots' from the Basic Education Coalition