Improved access to education for Roma children

• 70 Roma children from Vulcanești, Nisporeni, attend school and get good academic results
• Educators and teachers from Vulcanesti and Cioresti schools apply new child-centred work methods
• Most parents living in Vulcanesti village are interested in the schooling of their children
• The local Roma Association encourages Roma children to attend school

Chisinau, April 25, 2018 --- Out of 85 Roma children, 70 now attend school and have good academic results, due to a project implemented by UNICEF Moldova in partnership with Youth Resource Center Dacia. The project started one year ago and aimed to change the situation in Vulcanești, a village in Nisporeni district densely populated by Roma. Last year, only about 7 children in the village were attending school.

”When I came to the classroom for the first time, there were only two boys here”, recalls Raisa Barsan, a second grade student at Vulcanesti gymnasium.

Within the project, with a value of over 100 thousand US dollars, Roma children from Vulcanesti village, Nisporeni district, benefited from learning opportunities that enable them to actively participate in education. 

”I like school very much. I would tell others to come to school and learn”, says Renata Caracuian, a 8^th grade student.

The project, developed based on the results of “Roma children and their access to services” study, conducted with the participation of Roma in three localities of Moldova, aimed to promote greater participation of Roma children in education.

"The right to education is a fundamental right stipulated by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which Moldova is a party along with other 194 countries," said Desiree Jongsma, UNICEF Representative to Moldova, adding that "This right is essential for all children of all groups and ethnicities."

"The project aimed to work closely with parents of Roma children, to form new attitudes and change behavior towards an active involvement in ensuring quality education for their children," said Ion Babici, President of Youth Resource Center Dacia.

The project results are consistent with UNICEF Moldova priorities to improve access to quality education for all children, as well as with government objectives set in the National Program of Development of Inclusive Education for 2011-2020 and the Action Plan to Support the Roma Population in Moldova for 2016-2020.

According to official data, more than 9 000 Roma ethnics live in Moldova.