UNMIK on AIR

January, 19^th 2004

Bosniaks and the Higher Education in Kosovo

(By Andrea Saula)

Establishing University education for minorities in their native languages is a difficult task for every country, especially for those with several different ethnic communities. The effort made to facilitate education in Bosnian for the Bosniak community in Kosovo is a good example; before two years ago Bosniaks had the only option of studying in Serbian at the Mitrovica University or were forced to seek their higher education in Sarajevo or Belgrade. But two years ago the fog cleared and “The Management College” opened its doors in Pec/Peja and began offering lectures in Bosnian to Bosniak students. Also the Education Faculty in Prizren is offering this year studies in Bosnian language for the Bosniak Community

Hello and welcome to this of UNMIK on AIR.

Bosniaks live in different parts of Kosovo but predominantly in the Prizren, Pec/Peja and Mitrovica region. Everybody agrees that the opening of two High Education Institutions providing lectures in Bosnian is an advance for the Bosniak community in Kosovo; but all that shines isn’t gold and still Bosniak students are finding a limited variety of studies in Bosnian, poor University capacity, lack of teaching personnel and lack of text books published in their language. Sadik Idrizi, a professor at the Education Faculty in Prizren points out that still only ten % of Bosniak High school graduates can continue their studies in Kosovo.

Sadik Idrizi: The problem is the fact that not everybody that finishes High School can continue with Higher Education. The problem is that the offer is limited. They can choose management or they can take bachelor studies in Prizren. The so-called basic program in Prizren provides students ability to teach children from the first to the fifth grade. At least a couple of hundreds of pupils in Kosovo graduate from secondary education in Bosnian every year. Therefore we have a problem because only ten percents of those who finish secondary education can continue education in Kosovo at any of these two Universities.

Unfortunately, language has been a barrier for Bosniaks students in the past. Today things are slowly changing and Bosniak students are finding the means of studying together with other Albanian students. The Education Faculty in Prizren, which is under the umbrella of Pristina University, gave proof of this. The Faculty started last year teaching in Albanian but from this year they’ve organized three groups of students; 58 students are learning in Albanian, 24 in Bosnian and the same number in Turkish. Abdyl Simitqiu is the faculty coordinator

Abdyl Simitqiu: This year the Faculty has expanded its branches and except for the developing program consisting of ex-branches of the pedagogical school in the Albanian language, In English we offer mathematics, computing, physics and chemistry. While in the elementary base we had no problems with the program flow, in the subject program things are more difficult since this is the first time that we have chosen young personnel in all four centers in Kosovo in Prizren, Gjakova, Pristina and Mitrovica. A unique thing about Prizren is that except for the Albanian language, the teaching process is in Turkish and Bosnian as well. These two languages have contributed a lot since they were not used in higher education after the conflict.

All of Kosovo’s education system, says Sadik Idrizi, is suffering from the lack of qualified teaching personal and the Education Faculty in Prizren isn’t an exception to that rule; offering courses in three different languages is also a very complicated thing to organize. Besides, the issue of finding capable professors, this Faculty is dealing with the lack of textbooks. The methodology of teaching is the same in all the languages but every language professor or history of language professors is free to develop it’s own program and make it suitable for Kosovan students, says Professor Sadik Idrizi

Sadik Idrizi: We have already finished implementing courses in the Bosnian language. All the professors have been employed; some are coming from Novi Pazar; some professors from Pristina and some professors are from Prizren. Literature in Bosnian is still missing. The Professors can recommend some textbook from Sarajevo if it is suitable for the Prizren faculty program. The base is the same but there are some issues that are characteristic of Kosovo’s environment. Textbooks for Mathematics are not a problem but that’s not the case with pedagogy, literature, culture etc.

Although most of them are satisfied, the students are suffering from the lack of textbooks in Bosnian; Sali Emengvej is a student at the Education Faculty and he feels his education won’t be complete until he obtains the required textbooks in Bosnian.

Sali Emengvej: The question of textbooks is a painful one; we almost haven’t go any. We are taking notes and making photocopies and that’s how we are learning.

Besides these problems the Education faculty in Prizren is bringing joy to its students with its unique multicultural atmosphere. Abdyl Simitqiu, the faculty coordinator explains how recently they organized a freshmen week and everybody had great fun.

Abdyl Simitqiu: A few days ago together with the students we had the freshmen party and it was interesting because in this party the music Albanian, Turkish and Bosnian. The dancing did not stop even for a second no matter the ethnicity. It was a real pleasure to see this now, when it is so important for the standards.

One of the students, Saffet Muhovic is enjoying his studies; and also appreciates the fact that the Faculty is in Prizren which he finds extraordinary.

Saffet Muhovic: Prizren is a bit strange town. That is town where we never had a problem using Bosnian language. We had some problems in Pristina just after the war and we had such problems in some other places in Kosovo, but in Prizren one can speak freely Bosnian, Turkish. Prizren continues the tradition of real multi-ethnicity.

After completing their 8^th semester all these students will be teaching around Kosovo and Kosovo is, indeed, eager to get new, qualified teaching personnel. People as Sali and Meralda are prepared to go to the villages in the Zupa or Gora valley and teach.

Sali: Since our elementary school teaching staff isn’t qualified I believe that I will find that job, and that I am going to work with kids. That was my priority and that’s why I came here and entered this Faculty.

Meralda: I would work, why not. The future is over there; the youngsters are over there. Why would they stay illiterate? They also have the right to a better tomorrow.

And with this kind of youth, all ethnic communities should begin to see a brighter future. And finally Kosovo’s strength lies in the hands of the future generations to come.

And that was all for this edition of UNMIK on Air, thanks for listening and stay tuned for more.