A new program was launched in Hungary aiming at retaining young Rroma women longer in schools. Funded with 150 Mio HUF (450’000 EUR).
This is totally hypocritical. Zoltan Balog, the minister in charge of Human Resources openly advocates segregated schools… What is being said and what is being done are two things, and they are different.
Surprisingly positive chronicle this week in the French press. Yes there were a few expulsions – mostly travelers, the odd criminal case, but the bulk of articles this week was more on integration and insertion.
First, two articles from Libération, one on the so-called insertion village near Lyon where Rroma are housed and helped to integrate and in the second case, about a young Rrom who now goes to school; then a meeting against “Rromophobia” in Orléans, in Western France and a conference on Rroma in Brittany which will take place in June; an article on the Rroma resistance day; and finally a view on discrimination presented by its young victims.
Then, the more standard things: Expulsions of travelers (note that now one starts speaking about Rroma in this context) in Western France, near Paris, and in Grenoble; and the arrest of two Rroma thieves near Paris.
Italy is registering an increase of foreign children in their school system, including many Rroma.
The fate of a school in Glasgow where almost none of the 222 enrolled children speaks English and where the majority of them (181) are Rroma children from Slovakia and Romania makes the headlines in the UK.
While the Times is relatively neutral, the Daily Mail and others are really rabid. Rroma are being used to influence the vote in June, no doubt.
The Slovak authorities have taken almost no measures aimed at reducing the segregation of Rroma in the Slovak School system. This is a SHAME!
An Exhibition – Rroma on the Way to School – opened its doors in Strasbourg.
More than 2’000 school children were sent back to Kosovo from Western Europe. Many of them are Rroma, and Kosovo is not the place to be if you are Rrom.
SHAME.
Italian teachers in Naples protested against the eviction of Rroma in that metropolis.
Nice!
The government proxy for Rroma affairs, Peter Pollak resigned from his pots on April 4th. Pollak was very much engaged in improving the situation for Rroma in Slovakia, he himself running a school in Jarovnice.
A successor will be nominated by the Most-Hid coalition.
A report of a project and school in Cologne – Amaro Kher [Our House]. This school prepares young Rroma and Sinti to the regular school where, unfortunately they are often victims of prejudices and stereotypes.
Almost no news on Rroma this week in France besides the story of the Dutch footballers. A book by a teacher in the Paris suburbs; expulsions threatening the education of Rroma children; some news in the north; and finally, in the 16th (and posh) arrondissement of Paris, people complaining about a housing centre for migrants and refugees …
Amnesty International reported discrimination, racism and abuses in the Czech Republic against Rroma. The Czech education ministry who was stated a violating the children human’s rights filed a complaint with the police. The Czech prosecutor found no reason to push for an indictment but nevertheless slammed the report …
If one wanted a proof …
An initiative by the government of Hessen aims at teaching children about Sinti and Rroma in Germany, and the overall role of discrimination and the need to fight against segregation.
Good!
The Hungarian Government is pledging 4.76 Mio EUR from the EU funds for Roma colleges in Hungary. Nice, but these are de-facto segregated schools so actually VERY BAD … And paod by the EU.
The French government is defending its policies on fighting children poverty at the UN in Geneva. Besides the high number of children living in poverty in that country, France was also criticised about access to schools and discrimination of migrants, especially of Rroma.
A French school teacher has received a price for her work with Rroma children in France.
Well done!
Slovakia was internationally criticised for forced sterilisations, segregation in schools, brutality against Rroma etc.
In his speech to Rroma representatives, Pope Francis told Rroma not to fall into crime so as to break free of prejudice. Translated, this de facto means that the pope thinks that (a) many Rroma are criminals and (b) this is the root cause of their discrimination.
Wrong in both cases …
In spite of clear laws on schooling in France, it is not that easy for Rroma children to get into schools, especially if they do not have a proper address. In some cases, one has to go court …
SHAME!
The council of Europe human rights’ watchdog, Niels Mužnieks slammed Slovakia and the Czech Republic for the segregation and discriminations in schools for Rroma. These countries are continuing to place Rroma children in “special schools”, often for mentally disabled children. They also criticised the physical violence against Rroma by the police in Slovakai as well as other segregating and discriminating actions in those countries.
Shame on them!
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