Report shows Roma children get rough deal in education

Date: 29/11/01

By Martin Banks

A NEW report reveals "abysmal" educational standards for Roma children in EU countries.

The report published yesterday (28 November) by the Save the Children Fund says about one-third of Roma children never go to school.

Another third are placed in "special schools" for the mentally disabled and more than 25 drop out of school due to bullying or other problems. Few end up with qualifications, it says.

The UK-based charity now wants Enlargement Commissioner Günter Verheugen to make educational improvements for Roma children a pre-condition for candidate countries hoping to join the Union in 2004.

The Save the Children Fund, Europe's leading international children's charity, says the biggest changes are needed in east European applicant states, including Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and the Czech Republic. Its director-general, Mike Aaronson, said: "Action to improve the education of Roma children must be a pre-condition of joining the EU."

He added that governments in member states must take the lead to improve education for Roma and stop what it describes as "classroom apartheid".

"We need long-term funding and monitoring of results," Aaronson said. "Governments have achieved few results compared to the money and energy they have invested. The treatment of Roma is already Europe's worst human rights problem.

"It is unacceptable to condemn millions of children to a future without opportunities."

A report published on 28 November 2001 by the Save the Children Fund reveals 'abysmal' educational standards for Roma children in EU countries.