On the occasion of 8 April, International Roma Day, the Roma Education Fund (REF) welcomes the recent statement of Minister Dušan Čaplovič, who called for preschool education free of charge for children from the age of four. In addition, REF would like to call the attention of the public to the their research activities identifying the biggest barriers in education, as well as the piloted programs indicating the way forward to an inclusive education system.
On the occasion of 8 April, International Roma Day, the Roma Education Fund (REF) welcomes the recent statement of Minister Dušan Čaplovič, who called for preschool education free of charge for children from the age of four. In addition, REF would like to call the attention of the public to the their research activities identifying the biggest barriers in education, as well as the piloted programs indicating the way forward to an inclusive education system.
“We can say with confidence that we already have piloted and verified enough measures to propose effective measures in Roma inclusion in education. We continue with more sophisticated ways of impact assessment, but what we need the most is political will to cooperate,” the Executive Director of REF, Judit Szira, says.
Since its establishment in 2005, REF contributes to improvement of the Roma education inclusion in Slovakia through its grants and scholarships program in close cooperation with the NGO sector and institutions on both central and local governmental level. Through the REF grants program to date, more than 2 million EUR have been committed to grant support of 19 projects in Slovakia. In addition, REF committed more than 300,000 EUR to leverage EU funds and thus support NGOs and municipalities in accessing the funds.
These actions are motivated by REF’s determination to prevent the wrongful enrollment of Romani children in special education. In its place REF supports integrated preschool education, after-school tutoring and mentoring in the early years of primary education; REF also promotes the transfer of Romani children to mainstream schools and assists their transition from primary to secondary education and from secondary to higher education. The Slovak government has begun to partner with REF for its expertise and technical advice in relation to larger EU Structural Fund projects in an effort to expand the coverage of REF’s desegregation initiatives.
REF’s A Good Start project (AGS) has been focused on addressing the extremely low preschool attendance of Romani children in four localities in northeastern Slovakia. Several studies indicate that only around 28 percent of Romani children ages 3 to 6 are in kindergartens. AGS has been piloting and promoting early childhood education by supporting access to kindergartens as well as providing support to parents in building their parenting skills and confidence in developing children’s skills.
The Roma Education Fund expresses its support Minister of Education Čaplovič‘s idea to waive kindergarten fees for children already at the age of four. While this measure can represent significantly high costs, REF would like express that the EU may be an available source both for building capacities of kindergartens (ERDF) as well as to cover operational costs (ESF). In previous cooperation with REF, EU representatives expressed on a number of occasions that these costs are eligible.
Specific support is also provided to Romani high-school and university students. In the current academic year there are 320 Romani students at high schools receiving scholarships from the Roma Education Fund. Similarly, each year REF supports scores of Romani students at universities: 69 Slovak Roma in the current academic year.
Scholarship Program
REF launched its new cycle of its Scholarship Program on 8 April on the occasion of International Roma Day. Over 1,500 students were supported in the 2012-2013 academic year and the program anticipates even more applications than last year as increasing numbers of Romani students complete their secondary education.
REF offers open merit–based, competitive academic scholarships for Romani students pursuing Bachelor, Master, or Doctorate degrees at state-accredited universities. Besides its scholarships available in Slovakia, REF also offers scholarships for Romani university students from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Kosovo*, Macedonia, Montenegro, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine.
New Guidelines containing the program’s policy, eligibility and selection criteria have been posted on the website, in English and in 13 national languages.
REF invites all interested Roma students to apply to its scholarship schemes:
• Roma Memorial University Scholarship Program (RMUSP)
• Law and Humanities Program (LHP)
• Roma International Scholar Program (RISP)
• Roma Health Scholarship Program (RHSP)
The Roma Education Fund is a reputable source of information on the education of Roma. Since its establishment, REF has published a number of studies, some of which are available in Slovak
Roma media
GipsyTV.eu – “Scholarship! Get financial support for your studies at university!”
http://www.gipsytv.eu/gipsy-television/spravy/slovensko/stipendium-ziskaj-financu-podporu-pre-svoje-studium-na-vysokej-skole-aj-ty.html?page_id=2793
Mainstream media
Topky.sk – “Young Roma can apply for university scholarship”
http://www.topky.sk/cl/10/1345697/Mladi-Romovia-sa-mozu-uchadzat-o-vysokoskolske-stipendium
Slovak Spectator, Roman Cuprík
http://spectator.sme.sk/articles/view/49921/2/plight_of_roma_pupils_highlighted.html
TV JOJ
Noviny (News) at 12:00 – report on REF Scholarship; at 19:00 – report on REF Scholarship with more information + Juraj Vozar (RMUSP beneficiary) interview on his day with the US Ambassador Ján Baček”Noviny (News) – report on REF Scholarship ” http://www.joj.sk/
(archive not accessible anymore)
SME Daily
http://www.sme.sk/c/6762443/skolky-su-plne-caplovic-ich-chce-navyse-zadarmo-aj-pre-stvorrocnych.html
Number of local media adopted the news report of SITA press agency (they published our press release) or referenced the “Topky.sk” article, e.g.
http://www.piestanskydennik.sk/sita-detail/?tx_kiossita_pi1%5Bdetail%5D=168766>
http://www.news.sk/rss/clanok/2013/04/1221291/mladi-romovia-sa-mozu-uchadzat-o-vysokoskolske-stipendium
http://know.sk/spravodajstvo/mladi-romovia-sa-mozu-uchadzat-o-vysokoskolske-stipendium
http://www.smahu.com/spravy/sprava-4384054/Mladi-Romovia-sa-mozu-uchadzat-o-vysokoskolske-stipendium/
http://spectator.sme.sk/articles/view/49921/2/plight_of_roma_pupils_highlighted.html
*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.
