Tag Archives: Education

Controversy in the European Parliament: Slovak representatives lash back at critique of Slovakia for its Roma policies. According to Monika Beňová, a EU Slovak MP, said “I have tried to explain in a speech that without the co-operation of the Roma themselves, it is not possible to implement even the best strategy” to which a Swedish MP replied that Slovakia is still segregating Roma in school.

– Beňová v ostrej hádke v Európskom parlamente. Za všetko môžu Rómovia. In: Parlementne listy. 14.06.2018. https://www.parlamentnelisty.sk/arena/monitor/Benova-v-ostrej-hadke-v-Europskom-parlamente-Za-vsetko-mozu-Romovia-301588 [link-preview url=”https://www.parlamentnelisty.sk/arena/monitor/Benova-v-ostrej-hadke-v-Europskom-parlamente-Za-vsetko-mozu-Romovia-301588″]

On the 7th and 8th of June, the EU Commissioner for Justice, Consumer Affairs and Gender Equality, Věra Jourová, visited Slovakia. During the visit, she wanted to understand the progress on the investigation of the murder of journalist Jana Kuciak and his wife Martina Kušnířová and to find out what measures Slovakia has taken to better integrate Roma pupils into Slovak schools.

– Na Slovensko zavíta eurokomisárka. Zaujímať sa bude o Kuciaka a Rómov. In: Aktualne. 06.06.2018. https://aktualne.centrum.sk/slovensko/spolocnost/na-slovensko-zavita-eurokomisarka-zaujimat-bude-kuciaka-romov.html [link-preview url=”https://aktualne.centrum.sk/slovensko/spolocnost/na-slovensko-zavita-eurokomisarka-zaujimat-bude-kuciaka-romov.html”]

A depressing article about the prospects of young Roma from the settlements: If a child is born in a Roma settlement, he has no prospects for the future. He or she usually ends as his parents – without an education and under-employed. According to experts, poverty in Slovakia is due because of the persistent prejudice and the inability of schools to adapt to the needs of Roma children.

– Nikdy z teba nič nebude, počujú neraz deti Rómov. In: Slovensko. 28.05.2018. https://slovensko.hnonline.sk/1752058-nikdy-z-teba-nic-nebude-pocuju-neraz-deti-romov [link-preview url=”https://slovensko.hnonline.sk/1752058-nikdy-z-teba-nic-nebude-pocuju-neraz-deti-romov”]

The EU is giving funds for the integration of Roma in the school system and to avoid the de-facto segregation of schooling that is still prevalent in the country.
Let’s hope it helps.

– Schools open to all? Slovakia uses EU funds to include Roma children. In: EURActiv. 25.05.20128. https://www.euractiv.com/section/economy-jobs/news/schools-open-to-all-slovakia-uses-eu-funds-to-achieve-inclusive-education/ [link-preview url=”https://www.euractiv.com/section/economy-jobs/news/schools-open-to-all-slovakia-uses-eu-funds-to-achieve-inclusive-education/”]

The Roma Monitoring Report, prepared for the European Commission notes several cases of blatant segregation in the Slovak school system. Children are put in special school (nothing new), and teachers of such schools were even documented offering bribes to the parents to get the children in their schools. In many cases, the children were almost automatically “diagnosed” with mental illness, boosting the revenue of the school.
Clearly, these schools do not do much in matters of education.
SHAME!

– Segregácia Rómov sa presúva zo základných škôl už aj na stredné. In: Slovensko Honline. 25.04.2018. https://slovensko.hnonline.sk/1734001-segregacia-romov-sa-presuva-zo-zakladnych-skol-uz-aj-na-stredne [link-preview url=”https://slovensko.hnonline.sk/1734001-segregacia-romov-sa-presuva-zo-zakladnych-skol-uz-aj-na-stredne”]

A Slovak teacher simply refused to grade racist essays. Good! Read the interview.

– Slovakia: Meet the Romani teacher who refused to grade racist essays. In: Romea. 14.04.2018. http://www.romea.cz/en/news/world/slovakia-meet-the-romani-teacher-who-refused-to-grade-racist-essays# [link-preview url=”http://www.romea.cz/en/news/world/slovakia-meet-the-romani-teacher-who-refused-to-grade-racist-essays#”]

Nils Muižneks, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights has stated that segregated education leads to poor outcomes and prevents Roma children as well as disabled children from joining society. It is to be noted that Slovakia often segregates Roma children into schools for children with disabilities.
The Commissioner urged the Slovak authorities to address, on a broader scale, the persistent segregation in the education of children with disabilities as well as Roma children and to apply inclusive an education.

– Muižnieks: Vzdelávanie Rómov a detí s postihnutím potrebuje víziu. In: Dobre Noviny. 17.03.2018. https://www.dobrenoviny.sk/c/127312/muiznieks-vzdelavanie-romov-a-deti-s-postihnutim-potrebuje-viziu [link-preview url=”https://www.dobrenoviny.sk/c/127312/muiznieks-vzdelavanie-romov-a-deti-s-postihnutim-potrebuje-viziu”]