Ethnical groups in the NL(Sinti and Roma esp.)

European visit 194Bratislava, May 2011

Whom do we talk about?

• Travellers - from Middle Ages onward• Sinti - from early 18th century• Roma - from 19th/20th century

Numbers

• No exact numbers• Estimate 6000 Sinti and Roma

• 4000 Sinti• 2000 Roma

(Van Meurs, 2002)

Nomads - Society

• Distrust,• Not knowing a lot about each other

cultures,• Different ideas on bringing up children,• Different ideas about what is essential for

children to learn,• Participating in society and education

alienates the children from their own culture.

Education

• Up to 1950 – hardly any participation in education at all,

• 1950 – 1980 – special schools, – main aim: school attendance,

• 1996 – closing down of the last special school for these groups,

• Every child enters the mainstream school system.

Education (2)

• 1980 - majority of Sinti + Roma only attend primary school,

• 2000 - 90 % are also in secondary education.– They are more likely to be transferred to

special classes and special schools

Employment

• 2002 :

Roma/Sinti 17 %

Overall rate of unemployment 5 %

CEBEON (2002)

One of the projects

Nieuwegein project

• Aims:

– Improving school attendance;– Diminishing nuisance for the environment;– Countering poverty;– Countering benefit dependency;– Reducing crime.

• One family• One plan• One case manager

Education is seen as an important condition to improve participation in society and creating a job prospect.

• 2007 – 2008 baseline (400 Roma)

– 89 pupils with low attendance– girls over 12 year of age do not attend school

Project Report December 2010

• Nieuwegein 400 Roma inhabitants• 27 families in the project• 39 children (5 – 12): all in primary school• 26 children (12-18):

– 4 regular school attendance;– 22 “truants”

• 26 families social benefits• 9 families in debt relief schemes:

– 5 families cooperate/4 don’t comply

• www.european-agency.org

Brochures/flyers on the internet:

• The state of Education in The Netherlands• Education at a glance 2010• The education system in The Netherlands

(Eurydice)• Living and working in The Netherlands• A short survey of social security in The

Netherlands

(www.rijksoverheid.nl)