Children from Roma communities
Only about 20-25% of adolescents from Roma communities attend secondary school in Central and eastern Europe! Children of marginalized ethnic groups, notably the Roma in CEE and SEE, face serious disadvantages in accessing basic education services in many countries. Children from Roma communities are much more likely to be out of school than their peers from majority communities. Many drop out or are 'pushed out' before completing primary and lower secondary education. Roma children face serious barriers, such as blatent discrimination, segregation to remedial classes and lack of support for learning and segregation; some Roma children are victims of violence in schools. These barriers, along with barriers in their communities, contribute to high abensenteeism and low levels of learning, all of which push Roma children out of the education system. Additionally, Roma children are largely overrepresented in special education facilities and residential institutions intended for children with disabilities. This is largely because of ill-designed assessment procedures, discrimination and a lack of quality, inclusive school environments. It is difficult to obtain an accurate analysis of the sitaution of Roma children because of a lack of data. There is an urgent need for more and better data on the challenges facing Roma children. While Roma are the most systematically excluded minority group region-wide, there are many cultural, linguistic and ethnic minorities that continue to face real challenges to realising their right to quality education, especially in countries that continue to suffer from the aftershocks of ethnic conflict.
Position Paper on Inclusive Education for Roma Children Education for Roma children Towards Roma Inclusion: A review of Roma education initiatives in Central and Eastern Europe Resources Roma children: A study of barriers to educational attainment in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Roma in an expanding Europe |
