Policies in Education and Discrimination

What the Roma Education Fund can recommend for an Effective

Education Strategy. Marius Tabã

mtaba@romaeducationfund.org

www.romaeducationfund.hu

Geneva December 2008

Objectives of the Roma Education Fund

• Closing the education outcome gap between Roma and Non-Roma

• Influence institutional changes in education systems and policy reforms for Roma inclusion

• Foster Roma participation (II core principles (9) evaluation should be included)

• Document and disseminate best practices on both policy reforms and programs

How does discrimination happens?

• Open discrimination is not the most frequent occurrence in case of education

• Hidden discrimination and systemic discrimination is still very strong and is the most difficult to combat §

• Anti discrimination legislation is a necessary condition but largely insufficient

Education Polices and discrimination

• It is important to understand the impact of education policies on discrimination

• It is important to understand how polices for minorities could have discriminatory effects

Education Policies can facilitate Discrimination

• Excessive decentralization (without narrowing the school inspection) III 19

• Early tracking of children; Psychological testing – as a barrier - abolition of tests. IV 25; 26

• District school (existence of special schools for learning disabilities in the vicinity of Roma communities) IV 31 Free choice of school without clear rules of the game (white flight; segregation) VI 46 REF-lottery

• Per capita income financing of school (in case higher amounts go to special schools or smaller/ ghetto schools)

• Introduction of compulsory pre-school education (without looking at availability and distribution of pre-school facilities)

Targeted Polices could have discriminatory effects

• Material incentives-CCT (without clear mechanisms might lead to segregation) III 16;17; 20

• Multicultural education ( preparation and training of school staff; lack of mechanisms for real parents involvement V 36; 37; 39

• Reinforcing a specific curriculum for minorities (in the case it encourages separate education; role of inspection monitoring integration of minorities) VI 51

• Positive discrimination/affirmative actions (without adequate support to the students)- temporary measures

• School consolidation-”magnet school” (leads to segregation)

Conclusions

• Correlation between antidiscrimination legislation and actual discrimination is very weak according to REF analysis

• Should include clear mechanisms for recourse and information dissemination

• Should be based on a good analysis and understanding of how the education system work

• It is important to remember that good education policies fostering equity might be more efficient than an antidiscrimination legislation with bad education policies.

Traps in developing polices for Roma

• The “minority cultural rights” trap– Assimilating into other minority policies

• The “poverty” trap – Ignoring discrimination, providing assistance

• The “vulnerable group” trap– Not recognizing resiliency, compensating for handicap instead of building on

strengths• The “inclusion” trap

– Fusion with special needs children• The “school-based-approach” trap

– Creating Roma-magnet schools• The “parent involvement” trap

– Expanding the role of school above realistic limits• The “quality education” trap

– Ignoring integration

What is REF financing?

• Bulgaria: working with political parties on integrated education

• Serbia: training school inspection on antidiscrimination

• Hungary: disseminating information on enrolmrnt in the primary school -“lottery system”

• Macedonia: providing information to parents on how to enroll their children

• Romania: Helping Roma NGOs comment on the new Education law

• Policy notes for Decade countries