Sarajevo, May 19, 2025 – The Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina urgently needs to adopt a Decision on Bosnia and Herzegovina's participation in the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) and a Decision on our country's accession to the International Study of Reading Literacy Development (PIRLS). It is too late for this year, but we must at least join these international knowledge assessment programs for the next year, 2026. Our students, but also
teachers and the entire educational system face immense and irreparable damage, as they have been unjustly excluded from these very important global educational processes.

This was concluded, among other things, at the second regular session of the Council of the non-governmental and non-profit Foundation “Olympiad of Knowledge”. The session was held in Sarajevo, chaired by prof. emer. Dr. Željko Šain, and academicians prof. Dr. Mirko Pejanović and
mr.sci. Muhamed Pilav, founders and also members of the Foundation's Management Board.
One of the operational goals in the Foundation's work is to publicly advocate for our country's inclusion in PISA research, and to monitor student results on PISA tests in order to gain an objective insight into their abilities in reading, mathematics, and science, and to track
the position of Bosnia and Herzegovina on the global education ranking, which includes criteria such as teaching quality, access to education, and student results, providing a comprehensive overview of the educational system's performance.

Bosnia and Herzegovina last participated in PISA research in 2018, when it ranked 79th on the list of countries in the world. This result showed that every second 15-year-old cannot function in either the school system or in private
life or in continuing education. At that time, PISA testing was conducted on a sample of 6,480 students, in 213 primary and secondary schools, testing 46 fifteen-year-olds, with a focus on reading literacy.

The Council of the “Olympiad of Knowledge” Foundation is now richer with new members from the business community, so this body now consists of: ing. Kerim Hadžić, entrepreneur, director of the Step by Step foundation Prof. Dr. Nedim Krajišnik, prof. Dr. Nerzuk Ćurak, prof. Dr. Aziz Šunje, prof.
Dr. Anto Domazet, prof. Dr. Merima Čaušević, prof. Dr. sc. Dženan Kulović, prof. Dr. Haris Lulić, prof. Dr. sc. Pavle Mijović, prof. Dr. Kasim Tatić, prof. Dr. Sead Turčalo, prof. Dr. Ljiljan Veselinović, prof. Dr., Semir Bešlija, prim. Dr. sc. Vahidin Katica, journalist
Vildana Selimbegović, prof. Dr. sc. Ante Džidić, prof. Dr. Isak Karabegović, prof. Dr. Sarina Bakić, Dr. Muris Bečirčić, academician prof. Dr. Dejan Milošević, prof. Dr. sc. Safet Kozarević, pedagogue Kristina Vikalo-Hadžiabdić, director of the association Duga Anka Izetbegović, auditor and entrepreneur Ismeta Čardaković, prof. Dr. Jovan Dimitrijević, prof. Dr. Jasminka Okičić Džindo, pedagogue Belma Dizdarević-Omerović, entrepreneur Adnan Samilbegović, entrepreneur Nijaz Skenderagić, entrepreneur Selmir Vrabac, prof. Dr. Nedžad Korajlić, and communication expert and entrepreneur Adis Hasaković.

The “Olympiad of Knowledge” Foundation is a non-governmental and non-profit organization that focuses on improving the educational system with the aim of acquiring functional knowledge among children, students, and pupils. The founders of this non-governmental and non-profit
organization are academician, prof. Dr. Mirko Pejanović, emeritus, prof. Dr. Željko Šain, and mr. oec. sci. Muhamed Pilav, a successful entrepreneur with domestic and international experience. The Foundation supports various centers and associations that enhance knowledge and
the educational system, as well as gifted students through various forms of scholarships. Although recently established, the Foundation has already initiated the operation of the Educational Center in cooperation with partner organizations Montessori Community Center and STEM Academy, with programs designed for supplementary education of children aged 8 months to 18 years.

More information about the Foundation can be found at www.olimpijadaznanja.ba .