Weaknesses of Education of Roma in Slovakia
Weaknesses of Education of Roma in Slovakia
- Segregation and high number of Roma children in special schools for mentally challenged children: In many schools the children are placed in separated classes (or separate facilities are build near Roma villages). In some locations the Roma children are almost automatically placed in special schools for mentally challenged, which is manifested in increased number of segregated “Roma“ schools.
- Structure and financing of education system: we have insufficient data on number of Roma children in pre-school facilities, primary schools (special schools for mentally challenged), secondary schools, etc. Insufficient statistical data on the situation of Roma children in the educational system is caused by the fact that the data originate only from the members of the ethnic group themselves. Parallel data do exist also from other sources (e.g. school principal research, which gather alternative information), but this data is not verifiable.
- Question of education quality: strictly Roma schools and Roma only classes and other forms of segregated education create serious obstacles in approach to quality education and move of Roma children to higher education cycles.
- Implementation insufficiencies in integration of the Roma: politicians and leadership of the Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic frequently cannot recognize and assign adequate severity to the issues of Roma children in the educational system and they do not approach them as priority issues. (Roma Education Fund, 2007).
References
- ROMA EDUCATION FUND. 2007. Návrh na zlepšenie vzdelávania Rómov na Slovensku; Hodnotenie krajiny a strategické zameranie Rómskeho vzdelávacieho fondu. Roma Education Fund. 2007. ISBN: 978-963-9832-05-3