Although preschool education in Bosnia and Herzegovina is mandatory and free of charge in the year before starting school, a large number of children are still not covered by this system, despite the fact that, according to available data, the situation is gradually improving.
The framework law on preschool education in Bosnia and Herzegovina, adopted in 2007, stipulates that all children of preschool age must attend a preschool program in the year before starting school. Although the competent educational authorities in the cantons of the Federation of BiH, the Brčko District and the Republika Srpska had a deadline of six months to harmonize their regulations with that law, a significant number of children are still denied this right.
According to the data of the Agency for Statistics of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the pedagogical year 2025/2026. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, there were 5,481 preschool institutions attended by a total of 48,246 children. Compared to the previous academic year, the number of children using preschool institutions increased by 5.4 percent, while the number of educators increased by 6.9 percent.
Of the total number of children involved in preschool upbringing and education, 56.9 percent of them were included in public institutions, while 43.1 percent attended private preschool institutions.
At the same time, 9,642 children were waiting for a place in preschool institutions, which is 14.4 percent more than the year before. Of that number, 8,371 children were waiting for enrollment in public and 1,593 in private preschool institutions.
13,538 children attended the program for children in the year before starting school. Of that number, 9,398 children were simultaneously included in a regular stay in a preschool institution and in a preparatory program, while 4,133 children attended exclusively a program for children before starting school.
During the current year, a total of 5,529 people were employed in preschool education institutions, of which 5,391 were women.
For the sake of comparison, in the pedagogical year 2024/2025. in Bosnia and Herzegovina there were 5,291 preschool institutions with 45,772 children. Then the number of child beneficiaries increased by 11.1 percent compared to the previous year, while the number of employees was higher by 10.4 percent.
In the same pedagogical year, 57.2 percent of children were included in public institutions, and 42.8 percent in private ones. 8,709 children were waiting for a place in kindergartens, which represented a growth of 33.7 percent compared to the previous year.
In nursery groups during 2024/2025. 12,082 children stayed there, which is 17.9 percent more than the year before. The most numerous group consisted of children between the ages of two and three, who made up 57.8 percent of the total number of children in nurseries.
In preschool institutions during 2024/2025. a total of 6,576 people were employed, of which 6,211 were women, i.e. 94.4 percent, writes RTV Slon.
