Free transport and Roma mediators for improving Roma preschool education
UNICEF and the Austrian Embassy are calling for the municipal and national authorities to provide free transport for Roma children to preschools and to establish Roma mediators in order to improve the preschool education of Roma children
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Nikšić, 17 February 2022 – Only 16 percent of Roma children attend preschool in Montenegro. Some simple interventions, such as free transport and the introduction of Roma mediators, can increase this number significantly within a short period of time.
This is what UNICEF Montenegro Representative Juan Santander and Austrian Ambassador Karl Müller heard from teachers and Roma parents and children during their visit to Dragan Kovačević Preschool in Nikšić.
“I heard today that there is no organized transportation to preschools and no Roma mediators to help connect preschools with Roma families in Montenegro. So, UNICEF is calling for the municipal and national authorities to provide free transportation for Roma children to preschools and to establish Roma mediators who will connect preschools and Roma communities, as these interventions will help raise Roma preschool enrolment rates”,
Nikšić is one of seven municipalities where, with support from UNICEF and the Austrian Development Agency and in cooperation with the NGO Pedagogical Centre of Montenegro, initiatives to increase Roma children preschool enrolment have been successfully implemented since 2019.
“What we have found is that is it extremely important to have mediators which facilitate contact between the parents and relatives of the children and the preschools, which make it possible to increase preschool attendance. At the same time, we have found that organizing free transport for children is an elementary, very important task which we asked local communities and the state to facilitate and to arrange. The philosophy of the European Union, but also of Austria, is not to leave any child behind and to create the same opportunities for all young children",
According to one Roma mother from Nikšić, introducing Roma mediators in all preschools near a Roma community would significantly increase preschool enrolment and primary and secondary school completion rates for Roma children.
“It was quite significant for me to have Roma mediators come and take my children to preschool. Most Roma and Egyptians who were not in a condition to take their children to preschool now have their children attending preschool thanks to Roma mediators and free transport. Preschool education is important for children and I see that from my personal experience",
Preschool principal Snežana Zogović pointed out that, based on their experience, providing a larger number of Roma mediators and free transport to preschools is quite a significant factor for raising Roma preschool enrolment rates.
“To increase the number of Roma and Egyptian children attending preschool, it is necessary to engage Roma mediators. Also, free transport would be important, as it would allow these children to come to preschool every day and to better integrate",
Access to quality and inclusive preschool education is crucial for every child, and especially for children from vulnerable groups such as Roma. Preschool education is necessary for adequate child development. It is also a powerful mechanism for breaking the cycle of poverty, as it helps ensure timely enrolment and better achievements in later education.
For these reasons, UNICEF and the Austrian Development Agency are supporting the programme “Social Inclusion of Roma Children and Children with Disabilities in the Western Balkans”. Montenegro’s experiences from this programme are a good practice that shows that, with further investments and well-planned and coordinated action by all actors, Roma and Egyptian children can have equitable chances to attend preschool and primary education.
