A/HRC/25/49/Add.1 Herzegovina reportedly retain a strong ethnic slant, primarily in the “national groups of subjects”.20 54. One obstacle frequently mentioned by interlocutors was the deep system-wide politicization of education. The perspective of stakeholders with regard to the education system is quite worrying; they consider that most people on school boards are politicians, view school boards as an extended arm of political parties, and believe that school funding is based on political affiliation. Municipalities appoint school boards, which in turn appoint school directors, who then hire teachers. An issue requiring attention is the fate and prospects of teachers who may become redundant and risk losing their jobs following curriculum harmonization and the reunification of the school system, bearing in mind also decreasing population growth. 55. During her visit, the Special Rapporteur met representatives of a national network of student councils demanding a uniform school system. She also had the opportunity to attend a demonstration of high school students, organized in Sarajevo with the support of the Youth Communication Club, which links around 292 student councils across the country. Demonstrators asked the ministries of education many questions, including regarding when a harmonized curriculum would be available for all schools in the country. 56. The High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina also reported that the start of the school year in September 2013 was accompanied by disputes over the curricula being used in a number of schools in Republika Srpska where there had been a significant number of Bosniak returnees. Parents and pupils boycotted classes at a number of schools. The High Representative stressed that “the problem underlying the protests is not unique to Republika Srpska. It reveals the failure of the competent authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the past 11 years to find a permanent, countrywide solution, which would guarantee children’s equal rights to education”.21 57. Although the common core curriculum is better developed in Brčko, culture, language and history remain highly sensitive issues; officials there reported that they exercised caution “to preserve the different characteristics of groups, while bringing them round to universal values”. Classes are separated only for language and religion. Language classes, which are separated starting from the sixth grade, study national authors, including those from other constituent peoples. The Brčko District authorities do not view their system as ideal, and are making efforts to improve it. Teachers confirmed that progress in integration was not satisfactory. 58. Differences in the curricula seem to create a general feeling in the community that children are being educated to become “little ethnic soldiers”. Many interlocutors opined that children of “the other community” were being raised “as enemies”. The Special Rapporteur believes, however, that a thorough study may be necessary to assess the extent to which this is the case. C. The teaching and writing of history 59. According to various observers, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, “the different perspectives of history that the pupils are taught in schools seem to generate more divisions 20 21 Clare Magill, Education and Fragility in Bosnia and Herzegovina, UNESCO and the International Institute for Educational Planning, 2010 (available from www.iiep.unesco.org/fileadmin/user_upload/Info_Services_Publications/pdf/2010/BosniaHerzegovina.pdf), p. 37. S/2013/646, annex, para. 88. 13