Education and Romani Children

Focus on CZ and UK

19. 4. 2004

Push factors for systemic change:

• 97 Canada visa imposition

• EU accession

• Obsolete education legislation

Bratinka Report on situation of Romani Community, October 97 (out of 44 tasks 11 were for Ministry of Education) – Over two thirds of Roma children are in special schools (ss); 75% of children in ss are Roma  Concept of Romani integration (7 April 99), adopted in 2000, reformulated "Conception on Romani Integration" adopted on 23 January 2002 ‑ no quota but equalising measures New Education Act (White Book)

Criticism by UN, EC, US government reports, international NG0, etc

• UN CERD (Committee on Elimination of Racial Discrimination) Concluding observations on CR, 1998, "de facto” segregation (article 5 ICERD not fully implemented)

• UN CERD 2000 Report on CR • UN CRC (Rights of Children) • UN HCH (Human Rights Committee) Concluding

observations, July 01, "to eradicate segregation of R.ch. in its edu...„

• EC Opinion and Progress Reports on CR

•ERRC: Ostrava region, 27 times more in Special Schools, 5%population, 50% in special schools

•Save the Children Fund: Denied a Future?, 2001 http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/scuk/jsp/resources/details.jsp?id=366&group=resources&section=publication&subsection=details

Council of Europe:

• ECRI

• FCNM

• Eg. Office of the Government of the Czech Republic: Information about Compliance with Principles set forth in the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities according to Article 25, Paragraph 1 of this Convention, http://www.vlada.cz

Achievements

   230 - 250 Romani teacher assistants in 2003 (introduced in 1998) communication barrier, partnership teaching, small group work, contact with families, etc not systemic, inferior status, no eduacated R. teachers, if not successful‑ blaming the victim

110 preparatory classes in 2001 (since 1994)    multicultural/ intercultural edu. programmes -NG0s

(e.g. www.varianty.cz campaigns, eg. Be kind to your local Nazi), supported by Ministry of Education; community schools

  New School, ops www.novaskola.org

Threats:

     re-standardisation of psychological testing in the age of 6 - doubts about the concepts itself

     subtractive versus additive bilingualism, irreversible cognitive damage (abstract thinking concepts - Piaget)

     institutional, unwitting, indirect racism+ denial of racism

Resources:

• EU "Race Equality' directive 43/2000 ‑ indirect discrimination as apparently neutral measures, criteria, practices...

• Thompson: Anti-discrimination Practice: Personal, Cultural, Structural levels

• Arshad et all: three models of approach towards minority children- Assimilation, Multiculturalism, Equity and Rights (Roma viewed as a problem, not the school system, no anti-discrimination legislation)

• Video on Jane Eliot (Class Divided or Blue Eyed) discrimination based on eye colour

• Strategy for improving education of Romani Children by Ministry of Edu, 2001 (Strategie pro zlepšení vzdělávání romských dětí, verze 2001) http://www.msmt.cz

UK

• Arthur Ivats

• Cambridgeshire Multicultural Education Service- Traveller Education Team

• CERES- Traveller Education Centre

• OFSTED- David Gillborn

• Guillian Klein

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