SEPARATE AND UNEQUAL: SCHOOL SEGREGATION OF ROMANI CHILDREN

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SUBJECT: SEPARATE AND UNEQUAL: SCHOOL SEGREGATION OF ROMANI CHILDREN
IN SLOVAKIA

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1. Summary: A disproportionately high percentage of Romani
children in Slovakia are shunted into "special schools" for
mentally handicapped children. The implications of this de facto
segregation are broad and troublesome, as it mislabels children
as handicapped, confines them to a substandard education, and
diminishes their prospects for future success. Embassy
Bratislava, in conjunction with representatives of local and
international NGOs, organized a visit for six Chiefs of Mission
to two "special schools" in central Slovakia on June 24. In
spite of the capable and dedicated staff and adequate school
facilities, the visit highlighted the systemic failure of the
education system to promote inclusion of the Roma minority. The
diplomatic community saw a clear distinction between the Romani
children (who accounted for over half of the students in both
schools) and the students with genuine mental disabilities, and
recognized the need for greater international attention to the
situation. End Summary.



Disproportionate Placement of Roma in Special Schools




2. Special education is provided in approximately 600 special
schools and also in special classes in mainstream schools. A
greatly simplified curriculum is taught in both settings.
Students in special classes have very little opportunity for
inclusion or integration into mainstream classes, but students
in special schools are completely isolated. Education in
Slovakia is compulsory until a student reaches the age of 15
(usually the 9th year). After completion of primary school, a
student has two options: a two or three year vocational school
or Gymnazium (high school). For graduates of the special
schools, there are special vocational schools (practical
schools) which provide some training, but do not award
certification. Graduates from special schools are not prohibited
from attending regular vocational schools or Gymnazium, but
because of their subpar education, they are rarely able to pass
the entrance exams. Fewer than 10% of special school graduates
continue on even to practical school, and only a handful
continues to vocational school. Unfortunately, most jobs require
a vocational school certificate at minimum; thus, even for
practical school graduates, most jobs will be out of reach.




3. Exact figures are unknown, since the collection of
disaggregated ethnic data is prohibited in Slovakia, but a 2008
Ministry of Education report entitled "The status of pupils from
socially disadvantaged backgrounds in special primary schools"
shows that "socially disadvantaged students" (Roma, in most
cases) accounted for 64% of the students in special schools. The
European Roma Rights Centre estimates that a Romani child is 27
times more likely to be placed in a special school than a
non-Romani child in a similar situation.




4. NGO sources report that many of the Romani children in
special schools are placed there inappropriately. A standardized
diagnostic test was introduced in 2005, but the Education
Ministry acknowledges that schools often use other tools to
determine placement. NGO contacts believe that direct
discrimination plays a role. School directors, counseling center
employees, and psychologists can recommend a student for special
education regardless of his/her performance on the diagnostic
test. Some Romani children do not speak Slovak, which may
prohibit them from performing well on the diagnostic test or
from participating in a mainstream classroom. There are no
primary schools in Slovakia (special or mainstream) that teach
courses in the Romani language. Because of the already high
enrollment of Roma and a lack of multi-cultural education in the
mainstream schools, special schools have become known in many
communities as "the Roma schools." NGOs reported that parents
often choose to send their children to special schools without
recognizing that the education is inferior, because they believe
that their children may receive more culturally sensitive
education there.




5. There are financial motivations as well. Schools are funded
on a per-student basis, and NGOs have reported that students are
actually recruited from Roma communities by special school
staff. Prior to the 2008 School Act, "motivational scholarships"
were given to socially disadvantaged students to reward good
grades. However, no distinction was made between good grades
received at a special school or at a mainstream school, and this
resulted in many parents sending their children to special

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schools where it was easier to get good grades as a way to
supplement their monthly income. The motivational scholarships
were eliminated in 2008 and were replaced by financial
incentives based on attendance which make no distinction between
mainstream and special schools.



Leveling the Playing Field




6. The conditions in which many Roma live put Romani children at
a distinct disadvantage. As many as one third of Slovakia's
estimated 500,000 Roma live in extremely impoverished
settlements which often lack basic amenities such as running
water and electricity. When these Romani children begin school,
they are often unprepared for an educational environment because
their most basic needs are not being met and their parents lack
the resources to provide pre-school preparation at home. Thus,
these children require additional support to level the playing
field with students from the Slovak majority. The Slovak version
of the "head start" program has demonstrated potential in this
regard. Unfortunately, the percentage of Roma children who have
access to these services is so far minimal. The alternative,
consigning them to special schools, is less costly only in the
shortest-term calculation. The long-term costs for the state and
its Roma citizens are hard to calculate.



The Way Forward?




7. Despite the grim picture, there have been some improvements
as a result of new programs and international attention. In
2002, assistants for socially disadvantaged (Roma) children were
introduced in special classes at both mainstream and special
schools and have proven to be enormously beneficial to students.
However, there are only 500-800 of these assistants, which is
clearly too few spread out among 600 special schools and
numerous special classes in mainstream schools. The 2008 School
Act established "zero year" classes - one year of state funded
pre-kindergarten for socially disadvantaged children similar to
the American Head Start program. In addition to educational
services, the zero year program provides transportation to and
from school, meals, and assistance with hygienic and material
needs. Branislav Tichy, Director of Amnesty International
Slovakia, told us that although the zero year program is a
successful model, it is generally underfunded and undeveloped
and would need to be greatly expanded to have any noticeable
impact.




8. Economically, Roma were the biggest losers of the democratic
transition in 1989 and the early 1990s. Already positioned on
the lowest rung of the occupational ladder, Roma were often the
first to lose their jobs and the last to be hired. In the past
two decades, their prospects have deteriorated as they have been
further marginalized. With as many as 90% of Roma currently
unemployed, the neglect and under-education of a new generation
will no doubt exacerbate an already desperate and dangerous
situation. The over-representation of ethnic minorities in
special education is not unusual, but the predominance of Romani
children in special schools is, in many cases, de facto
segregation. These students are undereducated, unprepared for
competitive employment, and prevented from integrating into the
labor market, which contributes to the cycle of unemployment,
poverty, and marginalization that plagues so many in the Roma
community.




9. In 2007, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that the
placement of 18 Romani children in special schools in the Czech
Republic constituted discrimination and violated the right to
education, setting a precedent that the segregation of Romani
children is unacceptable under the European Convention.
Somewhat surprisingly, the decision had little resonance here.
There has been no such legal action in Slovakia, and despite
increased international attention, school authorities and
administrators appear disinclined to institute systemic change.
While the issue is being nominally addressed, integrating the
school system will require dedicated intervention. The programs
that are already in place will not be successful until they are
adequately expanded and supported.



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10. As current President of the Decade of Roma Inclusion,
Slovakia has declared that an "integrated school system" is one
of the top three priority areas of the year. Marek Lisansky,
Director of the Human Rights section of the Government Office,
told us that in conjunction with this priority, 10% of the
special schools will be audited to monitor discrimination. Since
ethnic data cannot be collected, however, the results of the
audit are unlikely to show the actual representation of Romani
children in special schools. Embassy Bratislava will continue to
follow this proposed audit as it is carried out and continue to
raise awareness of the importance of multiculturalism and
equality of opportunity in education with GOS interlocutors,
members of the diplomatic corps, and Slovak society.
EDDINS