European Roma Rights Centre

1. European Roma Rights Centre Segregated Schooling of Roma in Central and Eastern Europe

2. Stigmata: Segregated Schooling of Roma in Central and Eastern Europe

3. Segregated Schooling of Roma in Central 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.

4. Types 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)

5. Special 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.

6. Special 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;

7. Special 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

8. Segregated Classes in Mainstream Schools • 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.

9. Segregated “Standard” 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

10. Segregated “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”.

11. Principles of Rights-Based Roma Education Policy • Non-discrimination • Positive action • Informed choice • Roma participation • Equal start • Use of ethnic statistics • Comprehensive approach • Educational support • Adequate resources • Independent evaluation