Studies & Policy Documents

Various surveys attest to a worsening socio-economic situation of Roma in Bulgaria in the past ten years. The tendency in this period marks a wider gap between the majority population and the Roma in all social spheres, including education. Despite the fact that the PISA study of 2012 indicated a deteriorating education performance of all Bulgarian students in comparison to previous periods, the divergence in performance levels between Roma and non-Roma has also grown. Roma represent the vast majority (67 percent) of the poorest 20 percent of the entire Bulgarian population and are the group with the highest rates of illiteracy and early school leaving in the country. Unchallenged ethnic segregation of Roma in the education system is exacerbated by an increasingly socially stratified education system that confines students from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds to lower quality education compared to peers from better-off families.

This REF Country Assessment explores the circumstances of Montenegro’s Roma community in 2015 and the next steps to address the problems facing them. As a candidate for accession to the European Union since 2010, Montenegro has begun a process to service vulnerable groups residing on its territory. Over EUR 7.5 million has been allocated by Instruments for Pre-accession (IPA) that have targeted Roma communities, from which REF has been active implementing two projects to improve the educational outcomes of Roma living at Podgorica’s Konik Camp. As a consequence of closing the branch school that segregated students in the camp, Podgorica’s schools have accepted and enrolled Roma and Egyptians for the last two years. REF also runs a Toy Library in the camp with 87 member families.

The Roma Education Fund regularly conducts research on developments in the field of Roma education in the countries in which it operates. While sketching out opportunities for REF to persuade the national and local authorities in Croatia to invest in the education of its fastest-growing segment of the population, REF’s new Croatian Country Assessment takes into consideration disputed population figures, government and donor commitments, reviews the education system and the climate surrounding Roma education, and lays the groundwork for REF’s future work in Croatia. A complete set of annexes also present the key education indicators, the administration of public education, student performance on international assessments, census results and the levels of engagement for improving Roma education.

The Roma Education Fund regularly conducts research on developments in the field of Roma education in the countries in which it operates. While sketching out opportunities for REF to persuade the national and local authorities in Slovakia to invest in the education of its fastest-growing segment of the population, REF’s new Slovak Country Assessment takes into consideration disputed population figures, government and donor commitments, reviews the education system and the climate surrounding Roma education, and lays the groundwork for REF’s future work in Slovakia. A complete set of annexes also present the key education indicators, the administration of public education, student performance on international assessments, census results and the levels of engagement for improving Roma education.