The editorial office of our portal received an open letter, which, in the interest of the public and citizens’ information, we are transmitting in its entirety.
“Dear Minister,
I am addressing you as an educator – as a teacher who enters the classroom every day, looks our children in the eyes and takes responsibility for their future. Today, however, I am not writing about curricula. I am writing to you about the silent crisis that is happening in school classrooms, to which the system has been turning a blind eye for years.
In the municipality of Tešanj, 9 primary and 3 secondary schools do not have an employed psychologist. It is not just a mere statistic. This means that around 7,000 children and young people in the most sensitive years of their lives are growing up, struggling with peer pressure, anxiety, the consequences of digital violence and family crises – completely alone. Mr. Minister, the classroom is no longer the same.
As educators, we give our best. We are lecturers, educators, and listeners. But we are not therapists. We are not trained to recognize and deeply treat clinical depression, severe forms of anxiety or suicidal thoughts in students. Hiring psychologists in schools is not a luxury, nor an administrative whim. It is a legal, moral and human obligation towards the generations to come.
Allow me to remind you of the laws you must obey:
The Law on Elementary School of Zenica-Doboj Canton (“Official Gazette of ZDK”, number 3/2018) in Article 1 clearly defines that this Law regulates “the work of teachers, professional associates, associates and other workers in the school”. By the same Law, in Article 3, professional associate is defined as “a person qualified to perform pedagogical, psychological, pedagogical-psychological and other tasks in elementary school”. The law, therefore, foresees the existence of this function – and you 12 schools in Tešnje do not have it.
The Law on the Secondary School of the Zenica-Doboj Canton (“Official Gazette of the ZDK”, number 9/2017) in Article 1 also regulates the “status of teachers, professional associates, associates and other workers in the secondary school”, which confirms that the psychologist is foreseen as an integral part of the personnel structure in secondary schools as well.
Pedagogical standards and norms, which the founder (in this case the municipality of Tešanj) is obliged to provide, provide that “funds needed for establishment and operation” are provided “in accordance with the Pedagogical Standards for elementary schools”. You, as Minister, are responsible for ensuring that these standards are respected.
International obligations – the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Bosnia and Herzegovina signed and ratified, guarantees the child the right to the best possible development, which also includes psychosocial support during schooling.
Twelve schools in Tešnje send out a cry for professional support every day. Seven thousand students have no one to turn to within the institution where they spend half of their day. Thousands of parents are left to private structures that most cannot afford. Are we waiting for an irreparable tragedy to happen to realize that mental health is a priority, not a budget item?
What do we demand?
This letter is not only a criticism, but also a direct request for immediate action. From you and your ministry, and in accordance with the above-mentioned Law on Elementary School ZDK (Article 1 and 3) and Law on Secondary School ZDK (Article 1), we ask:
- Urgent job openings for school psychologists (professional associates) in all 12 educational institutions in the Tešanj municipality.
- A systemic solution, not temporary projects and half-measures that last several months.
- A clear strategy for protecting children’s mental health in the school environment.
While you are analyzing budgets and administrative procedures, our children are going through their own quiet storms. A school must be a safe place – and without a professional mental health team, it is only half safe.
I invite you to visit Tešanj, but not for an official, protocol visit, but to sit down with us, educators, and hear what we really lack in the classrooms.
In the hope that reason and concern for children will prevail over the administration, I expect your immediate response and concrete steps.
Sincerely,
Professor and teacher from Tešnj
Mirela Buljubasic, Master of Literature of the Peoples of BiH and B/H/S Language”
