We are deeply saddened by the fact that the first day of preschool, the first contact for 51 Roma children with the Croatian educational system which they had been awaiting with excitement and joy, ended up by facing 40 angry adults who blocked the entrance to the primary school of Gornji Hrašćan, clearly expressing: You are not welcome here!
We are deeply saddened by the fact that the first day of preschool, the first contact for 51 Roma children with the Croatian educational system which they had been awaiting with excitement and joy, ended up by facing 40 angry adults who blocked the entrance to the primary school of Gornji Hrašćan, clearly expressing: You are not welcome here!
Since 2010 REF has been working jointly with the Međirmurje County and the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports on the implementation of the project With preschool to full integration. This Project that will also be presented within the framework of Croatian presidency of the Decade of Roma Inclusion, was launched within the framework of measures launced to execute the ECHR Judgment in the case Oršuš vs. Croatia, ruling that segregation of Roma pupils in primary schools in Međimurje was discriminatory and obliging Croata to undertake necessary measures to prevent such occurences in the future.
REF has been present in Croatia since 2005 and we would like to express our sincere and strong will to continue supporting all eforts directed towards creating possibilities for Roma children to access quality education through cooperation with all stakeholders. In this aspect, and since opposition to Roma enrollment or residence is not first of such kind in Međimurje County, nor in Croatia, we would like to urge all the State and regional, as well as local autorities to increase their efforts in working with local and international partners to find ways to work more intensively on raising the awareness of the majority population in Croatia of the issues of discrimination against Roma. We are sure that through joint efforts of all stakeholders in Croatia and with well targeted actions a lot can be achieved to prevent such unfortunate events in the future.
