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The post-war reconstruction and state-building process in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) has been complex, with priorities changing as the country gradually normalizes and donor interests evolve. In mid-2002 the international community in BiH began a significant effort to modernize and reform BiH’s education system to better prepare the country’s youth to play productive social, economic and political roles in the future. Although educational reform gained significant attention in 2002, reforms efforts have been occurring at a variety of levels since 1996. This paper will provide an overall review of the state of education and educational reform in BiH. In the first part of the paper, a conceptual framework is developed to provide a basis for understanding the role of education and educational reform in societies undergoing a period of transition. Next, the state of education in BiH is reviewed, with a focus on needed reforms. BiH’s post-war social, political and legal environments are reviewed to clarify the challenges facing reformers. In order to provide a case study of reform in a post-conflict country, the second half of the paper reviews various reform efforts that have been proposed and implemented since 1996, with an emphasis on the reform process and the role of the international community. Special attention is given to efforts organized by the Office of the High Representative, the European Commission and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. In addition, the unique experience of the Brčko district is reviewed to determine whether it might serve as a model for reform across BiH. Throughout this review there is an emphasis on both process and outcome, because understanding these complex processes is crucial to understanding how and why reforms did or did not occur at various points in time. Several lessons learned for future reform in BiH and other societies in transition are offered in the hope that future reform processes might be more effective and efficient based on BiH’s experience. Finally, suggestions for future research are proposed as education and educational reform in BiH and other post-conflict, transition societies, are complex yet necessary efforts to ensure longterm peace and stability.

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