Strasbourg, April 21st 2015

How can regions ensure equal access to education and health to

Roma people?

BASIC INFO ABOUT ROMA IN SERBIA:

• 600 ROMA SETTLEMENTS / 380.000 ROMA

• 45% SLUMS• 30% NO WATER • 30% NO ELECTRICITY• 0,02 % UNIVERSITY DEGREE• 47 % FUNCTIONALLY ILLITERATE• 80% UNEMPLOYED• 60 % USE SOCIAL BENEFITS• 48 YEARS AVERAGE LIVING

SERBIA = DECADE OF ROMA INCLUSION (2005 – 2015)

NATIONAL STRATEGY TO IMPROVEPOSITION OF ROMA IN SERBIA (2009)

REVISION OF THE ROMA STRATEGY and 13ACTION PLANS (2012/2013)

STATE DEPENDENT ON FUNDING FROMINTERNATIONAL AGENCIES

Education of Roma in VojvodinaHow Vojvodina ensured equal access to education to Roma

In 2006, the Assembly of Autonomous Province of Vojvodinaestablished “Roma Inclusion Office” with a goal to improve livingof Roma population in the areas of education, employment,housing, health, human rights and minority rights.

Since 2010, on the territory of the Republic of Serbia, the persons belonging to Roma national community have opportunity to acquire education in their mother tongue at the University level - „Mihailo Palov“ Preschool Teacher Training College in Vršac, the Preschool Teacher Study Group

• Benefits for students• Free scholarships• students dormitories

All activities related to education of persons belonging to Roma national community have been promoted by the Government of the AP Vojvodina via printed and electronic media

We supported the initiative of the Roma Education Centre from Subotica to establish the Roma Children Inclusive Education Support Team in the territory of the Sombor School Authority

Government of Vojvodina, the School Authorities of Sombor, Novi Sad and Zrenjanin, together with the Roma Inclusion Office and Roma Education Centre from Subotica signed the Protocol of Joint Actions and Cooperation in the Field of Education of Roma Children in the territory of the AP of Vojvodina

School year Primary Secondary University

2006/2007. 5.888 300 52

2013/2014. 8.316 752 72 *tbc

AP Vojvodina also financially supported projects

… and activities implemented by the educational institutions or non-governmental organisations, which contribute to inclusion of Roma students into formal education system as well as their staying within that system :

• procurement of textbooks,• school meals expenses, • one-day trips, • participation in school music competitions, • Additional teaching lessons in Serbian and Maths, • summer education camps, • functional literacy of young Romas who dropped out school, • seminars for the teachers of Roma language with elements of national culture, • after-school day care, • kindergarten assistants, • single financial assistance for Roma students to co-finance education costs, • Co-funding the publishing of books concerned with the Roma tradition and culture etc.

project: INCLUSION OF ROMA STUDENTS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN THE TERRITORY OF THE AP

OF VOJVODINA 2007-2014

Aim of the project was to:-increase a number of Roma students who enroll in and complete secondary schools-increase a number of students enrolling in the four-year secondary schools-improve their general achievement record through the secondary education-increase the number of students continuing their education at the faculty and colleges of vocational studies

Project components :

• Student scholarships (provision of financial support to around 860 Roma students, who attended formal secondary schools in the territory of the APV in the period 2007-2014)

• Mentorship for students(provision of mentor teachers for scholarship holders)

• Additional education for mentor teachers • Monitoring of mentors’ work• Accreditation of mentorship seminars by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of

Serbia• Publication of the “Mentors’ Guide” brochure • Organisation of discussion panels in primary and secondary schools; promotion of

education undertaken by the Roma Students’ Association throughout the entire project along with promotion of successful young Roma

• Foreign language courses, including promotion of successful young Roma students• Girls’ summer camp• Complimentary excursion and awards for the best students• Provision of funds for the continued education in four-year secondary schools • Career guidance (visit to faculties and colleges)• Media visibility of the project

Network of secondary schools in the AP of Vojvodina involved in the project

121 SECONDARY SCHOOLS

84 SCHOOLS INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT

69,42% of all schools on the territory of AP Vojvodina

First part of the project costs: 1.148.826 EUR

Second part of the project costs: 1.043.174 USD

Mentorship programThe mentor’s role was to provide assistance and support to students in theirIndividual development of learning skills (pedagogical role), to work onoptimum integration of students in their closer and wider environmen(social role), as well as to exchange information, counsel, familiarise withstudents and his/her personal concerns (psychological role) and if necessary,provide the student with additional teaching content.

МENTOR

Parents

Student

Monitoring team

Teaching staff

Provision of scholarships to Roma secondary school students has continuedin Republic of Serbia for the school year 2014/2015 with the support of RomaEducation Fund and in cooperation with the OSCE Mission to the Republic ofSerbia and the Republic Ministry of Education, Science and TechnologicalDevelopment, within the project „Теchnical Support to Roma Inclusion“, whichis financed from the EU funds.

• Inclusion of children into the formal education system from the early preschool age • Increase the number of children involved in obligatory preeschool education• Financial support to children and students (scholarships, transport costs, textbooks,

accommodation....)• Provision of additional support in the form of mentorship by

Roma/pedagogical/personal assistants• Additional education of the teaching staff• Strengthening of parent competencies• Creating conditions for functional literacy and training of young people, but also

parents, who dropped out of the system of formal education

Further actions.....

Health care for Roma in Serbia / Vojvodina

NGO’s and Government of AP Vojvodina have supported numerous projects that help develop better living conditions for children and their families in wild settlements

Before After

Health issues from a Roma girl point of view…

According to the UNICEF survey with multiple indicators from 2011 (for Serbia), 14% of Roma girls aged from 15 to 19 were married before the age of 15 and one-third gave a birth to their first child before their 18th birthday.

„I gave a birth to the first child when I was 16, the second with 17 and the

third with 22. Between the second and third child I had five miscarriages."

Instead of conclusions:

• Even though State and NGO’s aredoing good work in keeping Roma

children in school system, their tradition is keeping some of them out of schools.

• Increased discrimination of Romachildren in educational system(majority population takes their children

out of schools in which Roma children make majority of students)

• teachers, school staff does notvalue equally efforts and workof Roma children

• economical problems ofSocialization (poverty)

What we as Regions can do

• Is to support education• To speak to parents• To include entire community in dialogue• To make joint plans• To financially support families who educate children• To support young people who want to continue their

studies

Thank you for your attention

Ana Tomanova MakanovaVice-president the Assembly of AP of Vojvodina