European Roma Rights Centre European Roma Rights Centre

Segregated Schooling of Roma in Central and Eastern Europe

Stigmata: Segregated Schooling of Stigmata: Segregated Schooling of Roma in Central and Eastern EuropeRoma in Central and Eastern Europe

Segregated Schooling of Roma in Segregated Schooling of Roma in Central and Eastern EuropeCentral and Eastern Europe In-built unfairness in the operation of education

systems excludes large numbers of Roma from opportunities to access quality education;

Patterns of residential segregation;

Discriminatory practices by individuals within the education systems;

Overall social context of racially-based rejection of Roma by the majority populations.

Types of Segregated EducationTypes of Segregated Education

Special schools for children with developmental disability (special remedial schools)

Segregated classes in the mainstream schools

Segregated “standard” schools (ghetto schools, “Gypsy schools”)

Private students (home studying)

Special Remedial SchoolsSpecial Remedial Schools

Primary and secondary schools designed to educate children with developmental disabilities;

Provide education which is not of equal standard to mainstream school education (adjustment of school curriculum is permitted according to the level considered appropriate for the children);

Transfer of children to mainstream education as well as continuation into mainstream schools after the primary school stage is an exception and likely to be discouraged by special school authorities for economic reasons.

Special Remedial SchoolsSpecial Remedial Schools

Overrepresentation of Romani children:

-- Czech government data: 75% of Romani children at school age were in special schools (2000);

-- ERRC research in Ostrava: Roma in the special schools were 50% while Romani students constituted 5% of primary

school students (1998-1999); -- ERRC research in Prešov district, Slovakia: 84% of all special school students were Romani (2001-2002)

Correlation between the territorial distribution of special schools and the size of the Romani population in the respective administrative unit;

Special Remedial SchoolsSpecial Remedial Schools

Psychological testing as currently practiced produces racially disproportionate results;

Assignment of Romani children to special education without testing;

Abuse of parental consent and coercion of parents to consent to the placement of their children in special education;

Enrollment of first-year Romani students in special education

Segregated Classes in Mainstream Segregated Classes in Mainstream SchoolsSchools

Special remedial classes in mainstream schools;

School achievement as a pretext for segregating Romani children;

Segregation of Romani children to avoid withdrawal of non-Roma from schools;

Segregation of Romani children as a result of abuse of minority education provisions.

Segregated “Standard” Schools Segregated “Standard” Schools (Ghetto Schools, “Gypsy Schools”)(Ghetto Schools, “Gypsy Schools”)

All-Romani schools based in or in close proximity to Romani settlements

Increased proportion of Romani children as a result of “White flight” from schools

Increased proportion of Romani children as a result of changes in the demographic structure of the population in a given place

Discriminatory refusal to enroll Romani children in mainstream schools

Segregated “Standard” SchoolsSegregated “Standard” Schools

Inferior material conditions; Overcrowded classrooms; Substandard teaching process; Unqualified teachers;

Lower expectations from students; Education achievement gap between students in “Gypsy

schools” and other students; Illiteracy among primary school graduates from “Gypsy

schools”.

Principles of Rights-Based Roma Principles of Rights-Based Roma Education PolicyEducation Policy

Non-discrimination Positive action Informed choice Roma participation Equal start Use of ethnic statistics Comprehensive approach Educational support Adequate resources Independent evaluation