needs assessment study for the roma education fund...

Needs Assessment Study for the Roma Education Fund Background Paper

SERBIA

Version of September 2004. Please send comments and updates to: [email protected]

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Needs Assessment Study for the Roma Education Fund

Serbia (without Kosovo)

I. Situation Analysis 4

1. Socio-Demographic Data 4 1.1. Population and Geographic Distribution 4 1.2. Sex, Age and Family Structure 5 1.3. Groups, Language, Culture and Religion 7 1.4. Education Structure 8

2. Socio-Economic Status 9 2.1. Poverty and Social Aid 9 2.2. Employment and Types of Jobs 11 2.3. Housing Conditions 12 2.4. Health 12 2.5. Social Status, Discrimination and Assimilation 13 2.6. Particularly Vulnerable Groups 14

3. Education – Enrolling, Quitting and Completing School 15 3.1. Right, Problems and Discrimination in Education 15 3.2. Pre-school Education 17 3.3. Primary (Compulsory) Education 18 3.4. Secondary Education 22 3.5. Special Education 22 3.6. Higher Education 23 3.7. Education of Adults 24 3.8. Education in Minority Language 25

1. Education Quality and Student Performance 26 4.1. Student Performance 26 4.2. Education Quality 27 4.3. Education System 28 4.4. Teaching Personnel 30 4.5. School Conditions 31


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II. Legislation and Strategic Documents 32

1. Relevant Federal and Republican Legislation 32

2. Relevant Strategies, Bearers and Implemented Measures 33 2.1. Strategies 33 2.2. Institutions and Bodies – Bearers of Implementation 36 2.3. Affirmative Action Measures 37

3. Action Plans 38

III. Analysis of Programs and Projects 40

1. Non-Governmental Organizations Engaged In Roma Education 40

2. Programs/Projects 42

2.1. Analysis of Programs/Projects 42 2.2. Inclusion of Roma Children and Youth into the Education System 43 2.3. Major Roma Education Programs and Projects Implemented to Date44

IV. Proposal of Programs and Activities for Roma Inclusion Decade 49

Literature

Appendices Appendix No. 1: Listing and Description of NGOs Appendix No. 2: Listing and Description of programs/project Appendix No. 3: Basic Draft Action Plan for Education Appendix No. 4: Draft Budgets for Strategies and Action Plans Appendix No. 5: Map of Geographic Distribution of Roma Population Appendix No. 6: MoE data on Roma students by districts Appendix No. 7: Roma population in Niš, data from Local Strategy Appendix No. 8: Roma population in Kragujevac, data from Local Strategy


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I. Situation Analysis

1. Socio-Demographic Data

1.1. Population and Geographic Distribution

According to the latest Census conducted in 2002 a total of 108,193 Roma lived in Serbia without Kosovo (79,136 in Central Serbia and 29,057 in Vojvodina).1 In comparison with the 1991 Census 2, according to which the number of Roma was 94,492 (70,126 in Central Serbia and 24,366 in Vojvodina), Roma population in Serbia has increased for 14 percent.

2002 Census Serbia Central Serbia Vojvodina Population - Total 7,498,001 5,466,009 2,031,992

Roma 108,193 79,136 29,057 Roma - percentage 1.44% 1.45% 1.43%

There are no reliable data about the size of Roma Community since many people do not register their place of residence, they frequently migrate, and the social mimicry is also present. Center For Ethnicity Research conducted a research on the initiative of the former Federal Ministry Of National And Ethnical Communities, now Federal Ministry Of Human And Minority Rights, the research which numbered a total of 593 Roma settlements with over 100 inhabitants or 15 families were registered with total population of 201,353 native Roma and 46,238 Roma displaced from Kosovo.3 This data substantiates the presumption of Rroma population being significantly and evidently larger that the official Census proclaimed, even though this data also missed to cover all Rroma communities (like settlements with fewer than 100 inhabitants, the settlements were Rroma live fully integrated, etc.).

In the opinion of some Roma leaders, Rroma population stands somewhere between 800,000 and 1 million. The most common estimations made by experts indicate that the number of Roma living in Serbia is somewhere between 450,000 and 500,000 (about 6 percent of the population). It is unclear what are these estimations based on, but it is the figure treated in Serbia as the most realistic one. Bearing in mind that MoE’s currently developing Action Plan For Education Improvement For Rroma based on the estimation of 450000 Rroma population, that numer has been adopted to use in this report, as well.

Minorities comprise 17.14 percent of the population of Serbia without Kosovo; the largest minorities are Hungarians (3.91%) and Bosniaks (2.19%)4. The Roma are the third largest minority, however, if the estimated number of 450,000 Roma is accepted, they are the largest minority.

1 Census of Population, Households and Apartments in 2002, Final Census Results, Population According to Age and Sex 2 Roma Settlements, Living Conditions and Possibilities for Roma Integration in Serbia 3 Ibid. 4 Census of Population, Households and Apartments in 2002, Final Census Results, Population According to Age and Sex


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The largest percentage of Roma population, compared to the majority population, is present in five districts in Southern and Southeast Serbia: (Pcinjski – 5% Jablanicki – 4%, Pirotski – 3%, Toplicki – 3%, Nisavski – 2%), and three districts in Vojvodina (Srednje-Banatski – 2.7%, Severno-Banatski – 2.4% and Juzno-Banatski – 2%).5

The research determined the highest density of 593 registered Roma settlements could be found in Belgrade (102 settlements), in northwestern part of Central Serbia, in Vojvodina and in some districts of Southern Serbia. Roma settlements are also numerous in middle parts of Central Serbia, while there are very few of them in Sandzak and southeastern Serbia. Reading the Rroma settlements in Serbia distribution map (Appendix No. 6), we must exercise caution, as the settlement density doesn't match neither with the numbers of inhabitants in the settlements, nor with the numbers by counties/regions. The most densely populated settlements are the ones in the South of Serbia, numbering several thousands of inhabitants. The same goes for the settlements in large cities, like Adice in Novi Sad with approx. 6,000 and Beograd Mala in Niš with over 6,500. Large settlements are. 6

The same research shows the following distribution: out of 593 settlements, 44,8% are rural, while 52,7% are urban. Of the 593 settlements, 31% are suburbian, 23.1% are in villages, 21.7% in cities and 2.5% at other sites. A total of 47.3 percent of larger Roma settlements were built at the beginning of XX century.

Size of Roma settlements in Serbia 7 No. of inhabitants 100-199 200-499 500-999 1,000-1,999 2,000-4,999 5,000 and more

No. of settlements 314 179 61 22 13 4

1.2. Sex, Age and Family Structure

Sex structure

According to the 2002 Census, women comprised 51.4 percent within the general population, while within the Roma population they comprised 49.6 percent. Within the general population, in all groups bellow 30 years of age there are more men, while in groups over the age of 30 there are more women. Within the Roma population, there are more men in all groups bellow 50 years of age and more women in groups over the age of 50.8

Age Structure

Average Age (2002 Census)

General population 40.2

Serbs 40.5

Roma 27.5

Other Minorities 42.8

5 Census of Population, Households and Apartments in 2002, Final Census Results, Population According to Age and Sex 6 Roma Settlements, Living Conditions and Possibilities for Roma Integration in Serbia 7 Roma Settlements, Living Conditions and Possibilities for Roma Integration in Serbia 8 Census of Population, Households and Apartments in 2002, Population – Religion, Mother Tongue and National or Ethnic Affiliation According to Age and Sex

- Roma are the youngest ethnic community due to high birth and mortality rate;

- The only minority close to the Roma in terms of age are the Albanians with the average age of 29.6 yrs.

- Roma are almost two times younger than Slovenians (54.9 yrs.) and Germans (43 yrs.), which ar the oldest national communities.


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Age Breakdown – 2002 Census

General

population %* Serbs % Other

minorites % Roma %

0 - 4 342,344 4.6 272,757 4.4 57,300 4.9 12,287 11.4

5 - 9 394,596 5.3 318,975 5.1 64,076 5.4 11,545 10.7

10 - 14 439,830 5.9 358,139 5.8 71,118 6.0 10,573 9.8

15 - 19 495,651 6.6 408,643 6.6 76,909 6.5 10,099 9.3

20 - 24 512,429 6.8 425,216 6.8 77,489 6.6 9,724 9.0

25 - 29 504,566 6.7 419,992 6.8 75,854 6.4 8,720 8.1

30 - 34 476,447 6.4 394,288 6.3 74,670 6.3 7,489 6.9

35 - 39 486,009 6.5 400,366 6.4 78,551 6.7 7,092 6.6

40 - 44 531,828 7.1 440,374 7.1 84,364 7.2 7,090 6.6

45 - 49 621,553 8.3 522,444 8.4 92,726 7.9 6,383 5.9

50 - 54 571,353 7.6 482,300 7.8 84,322 7.2 4,731 4.4

55 - 59 389,185 5.2 315,850 5.1 70,207 6.0 3,128 2.9

60 - 64 443,784 5.9 372,460 6.0 68,482 5.8 2,842 2.6

65 - 69 460,406 6.1 391,879 6.3 66,296 5.6 2,231 2.1

70 -74 387,284 5.2 329,395 5.3 56,526 4.8 1,363 1.3

Over 75 392,815 5.2 327,431 5.3 64,441 5.5 943 0.9

Unknown 47,921 0.6 32,329 0.5 13,639 1.2 1,953 1.8Total 7,498,001 100 6,212,838 100 1,176,970 100 108,193 100

*Percentage by age breakdown compared to total of each population.

Estimated number of Roma children and youth: According to the 2002 Census, 32% of Roma population falls within the category of 0-14 years of age (i.e. round 2.3% belongs to a 1-year age category. If these data are matched against the estimated number of the overall Roma population, the following estimates can be made:

Estimated Number of Roma Children Pre-school age (0 – 6 yrs of age) 62,100

Primary school age (7 - 14 yrs of age) 82,800 Secondary school age (15 – 18 yrs of age) 41,400

Family Structure The research covering 700 Rroma and 350 Rroma-neighbouring families (in the first step the sample was per quota, and in the second per casus) indicates that the average interviewed Roma family has a bit more than 5 members. More than half of those families have over five members, while 7.9 percent are very numerous, with over 11 members. Quite often, the families comprise several generations with large number of children. There is an


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obvious tendency among more educated Roma, who live in bigger cities, to have less numerous families – two or three generations with lesser number of children. 9

1.3. Groups, Language, Culture and Religion

Groups In Serbia, Roma are distinguished according to regions they had come from as Turkish, Wallachian, German (Belarus) and White Roma (variance of Turkish). No data are available on differences in the economic standings of these groups.

Language According to data presented in the 2002 Census, 76 percent of Roma declared Roma language as their mother tongue. The language spoken depends upon the country of origin of the particular Roma community as well as the language spoken by majority population in the environment. Ashkalia and Egyptians who took refuge from Kosovo speak Albanian language only, and some Roma (particularly children) speak only Roma or Roma/Albanian mixture.

Majority of the Roma are bilingual, they use both Roma language and the language spoken by majority community, particularly those integrated in the life of the community. Roma who live in segregated settlements most often speak only Roma language. There is an obvious distinction between urban environments; e.g. in Kragujevac they are almost not familiar with Roma language at all, while for instance in Nis, a large number speak Roma language while lot of them have no command of Serbian language.

Vast majority of the interviewed 700 Roma families in mutual contacts speak Roma language (71.4%), Serbian (13.6%) and “mixed language” (11.8%). A small number speaks Hungarian, Albanian or some other language (2.7%). Among Roma dialects, the most commonly used are Arlija (41.7%) and Gurbet (23.4%).10

Culture Life in poverty and in the vicinity of other people affected the changes of cultural and other Roma values. Nevertheless, they kept their customs and beliefs. They have broadened their culture by accepting, altering and adjusting their neighbors’ values. Like in other nations, Roma customs are related to significant events, such as wedding, birth and death.

Roma culture is of narrative character and, consequently, significant part of its contents has already been lost. It is not known by other people and quite often by Roma themselves. In literature and particularly in movies, it is presented in twisted form, in accordance with the prevailing stereotypes. The Roma Community does not have a common attitude towards the Roma culture values they wish to nourish or the manner in which they want to do so. There are many reasons for that: poor Rroma are preoccupied with mere survival to take interest in cultural issues; many want to integrate in the majority population and are reluctant to promote their cultural values; there’s no concordance over what are the authentic values of Rroma culture and tradition due to mixing with other cultures and differences between different groups of Rroma.

9 Roma Settlements, Living Conditions and Possibilities for Roma Integration in Serbia 10 Roma Settlements, Living Conditions and Possibilities for Roma Integration in Serbia


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Religion Roma in Serbia are Orthodox (in all regions) and Muslims (Southern Serbia, Roma from Kosovo), while in Vojvodina, to a lesser extent, they are also Catholics. Wallachian Roma are Orthodox, Turkish Roma are Muslims. Dispersion of religion is mainly a result of the country of origin and the majority population in the environment. The Roma who took refuge from Kosovo are mainly Muslims, while some of them convert to Orthodox religion and even change names in order to fit more easily into the new environment. There is an increased interest among experts and Roma themselves for researches and publications about Roma language, customs and culture. They contribute to better familiarization with these matters, however, they are often of local character and do not offer an overview of the entire Roma population in Serbia.

1.4. Education Structure

According to the 1991 Census, there were 36.6 percent of Roma without even a single primary school grade, 26.1 percent did not complete the primary school, 28.3 percent completed primary school, 8.1 percent completed secondary school and only 0.9 percent completed high school or college. A whole 62.7 percent do not have complete primary education and 34.8 percent of those are illiterate. Although respective data from the 2002 Census are not available yet, based upon results of some researches recently conducted in some settlements, no significant changes are expected.

The report Roma and Education – between needs, desires and possibilities has been made by the NGO Roma Children Center, in cooperation with Trocair, Ireland. The report is based on the research conducted in 4 major cities (Belgrade, Novi Sad, Niš and Kragujevac). Techniques used are: focus groups (two per each city, respectively), “deep” interviews (12 per city) and polls. Out of the 5,000 interviewees (from 4 towns) over 15 years of age, 15.6 percent had never been included in any form of regular education: 26.1 percent had commenced but never completed the primary education (1.5% in special schools); 39.6 percent completed primary education (0.9% in special schools); 8.3 percent commenced secondary education and 5.1 percent completed it; 6.2 percent completed the craftsmanship education; 0.7 percent completed some higher school or college while 0.3% commenced but never competed such education.

Education structure of the Roma is significantly lower than the average in general population, average for all minorities, Serbs and most of the other minorities. There is a substantial inequality in realization of rights to education of certain national and ethnic groups. The Roma, Wallachians, Muslims and Albanians are definitely in the worst situation. In all minority groups, women are less educated than men (even lesser than the national average difference between the men and the women). This information is from Comprehensive Analysis of Primary Education in FRY, which has been conducted by UNICEF during 2000-2001, in cooperation with MoE and with help of UNESCO; all in the course of preparations for the Education Reform. This report comprises evaluation of the following parameters: Structure of the Educational System; Resources; Access to Education and learning possibilities; Quality and efficiency of Education and Education Outcomes/Results.


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Education Structure – 2002 Census (%) w/o PS PS SS HS/C

General population 33.0 25.0 32.2 8.9

Serbs 33.8 24.1 32.5 8.9

All Minorities included Roma 38.5 27.4 26.2 6.8

Roma 62.7 27.1 8.1 0.9

Hungarians 39.1 26.9 28.3 5.2

Walachians 69.9 19.2 8.3 1.9

Albanians 34.6 34.3 22.4 5.0

Low level of education of Roma affects possibilities for employment, thus affecting material position and quality of all aspects of life, such as running a household, bringing up children, fulfilling the rights, etc. In terms of education, the most endangered are the women and the other vulnerable groups.

Low and inadequate levels of education have been identified as one of the main causes of Poverty in Serbia. The link between education and poverty and the importance of education for the reduction of poverty, is best demonstrated in the following table. According for the Survey on the Living Standard of the Population the majority of the poor (over 60%) only have primary school education or are primary school drop-outs, while only 2% of the poor are highly educated, (Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper for Serbia).

Poverty in relation to educational level in Serbia in 2002. (population over 15 years of age)

% Population at risk of falling below the poverty

line

% of the poor

Relative poverty

risk

Structure of all

Population over 15

Structure of the poor

Depth of

poverty

Severity of

poverty

Unfinished primary school 36.1% 21.5% 102.5% 17.5% 35.4% 5.1% 1.8% Primary school 25.4% 14.3% 33.9% 23.3% 31.2% 3.1% 1.0% Secondary school 15.1% 6.9% -35.1% 47.5% 30.8% 1.2% 0.3% College 7.8% 2.9% -72.8% 5.1% 1.4% 0.4% 0.1% University degree 5.6% 2.0% -81.4% 6.6% 1.2% 0.4% 0.1% Total 20.0% 10.6% - 100% 100% 2.2% 0.8%

Survey on the Living Standard of the Population 2002.

2. Socio-Economic Status

2.1. Poverty and Social Aid Poverty is widespread in Serbia as a consequence of unfavorable political and economic circumstances that have prevailed over the past ten years. In 2003, the Government of Serbia adopted the Strategy for Poverty Reduction in Serbia, which is based upon findings of the Survey on the Living Standards, which indicates that in Serbia, in 2002, 10.6 percent


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of the population, or 800,000 citizens, were poor (daily expenditure of US$ 2.40); however, only a minor transferal of a poverty line (to US$ 2.90) would increase the percentage of the poor to 20 percent or about 1,600,000 citizens. Out of the 2,000,000 children, 200,000 are endangered by poverty, whereas an extra 400,000 are at the verge of it. The survey did not encompass the most endangered population categories, such as Roma and part of refugees and internally displaced persons.

Besides the basic indicators on the extent, depth and severity of poverty, the analysis pointed to the following characteristics of poverty in Serbia: Poverty in Serbia is closely related to educational level; The unemployed were most at risk of poverty; The elderly (over 65) make up almost a quarter of the total number of poor; Children also represent a category with an above average risk of poverty; The most vulnerable are housholds with five or more members; Poverty in serbia has beconme a rural phenomenom; The region with the highest level of poverty is Southeastern Serbia. Particularly vulnerable and economically and socially excluded groups: Refugees and IDP; Roma; Persons with disabilities and women. (Strategy for Poverty Reduction in Serbia).

Roma fall within nearly all poverty-stricken categories and the Strategy therefore focuses on them in the part entitled Reduction of Roma Poverty. The problems that produce generational poverty of Roma, have been categorized in 4 groups: Employment, Education, Health and Housing. Low level of economic activity and high unemployment rate are quoted as basic indicators of social and economic status.

In addition to the aforementioned survey, the research The Many Faces of Poverty, Research on Child Poverty in Serbia, UNICEF, conducted in 8 districts (4 undeveloped, 3 with large share of Roma population and one with large number of internally displaced persons) indicates that child poverty has many faces and encompasses economic, health, educational and cultural deprivation. Violation of children rights is a consequence of poverty and also comprises lack of fulfillment of the right to education. In this respect, the children of Roma and internally displaced persons are in the worst position.

Most of the Roma are poor, without permanent job and, consequently, any social security. According to the 1991 Census, the share of supported persons among the Roma was 60 percent and among the Serbs 36.6 percent, whereas the percentage of workforce was almost equal. The highest share of Roma within the general population is found in the South of Serbia, in poorest and most undeveloped municipalities. Economic position of Roma is determined by irregularity of income related to the type of work, the unemployment rate growth that is a consequence of a long-term stagnancy of economy and economic transition in progress, and a low demand for less qualified workers in the labor market, Draft Strategy for Integration and Empowerment of Roma (see detailed presentation of the document on Chapter II, 2.1. Strategies).

Compulsory social insurance, which is provided for employees and farmers, comprises retirement, disability and medical insurance. Constitution of Serbia guarantees social benefits only to persons who cannot work and do not have any means for living. The right to social benefits is provided only to individuals and families whose income is lower than the existential minimum. Over the past two years, thanks to foreign donations, the overdue family allowances were paid for 26 months and now they have been paid regularly. In 2003, social welfare benefits from the state have been received by only 35,000 families, with


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additional 15,000 receiving these benefits from foreign donations. The size of the benefits is directly related to the average salary in the given Municipality, so in poorer Municipalities the benefits are lower.

Since most of the Roma are unemployed, they have no possibility to enjoy the benefits of social and retirement insurance. For some Roma families, social assistance is the only source of regular income, although its amount is not compatible with basic needs and has not been paid regularly. A lot of Roma people do not even fulfill these rights, mainly because of lack of knowledge, rather complicated procedure and lack of personal identification documents.11 One of the goals set by the long-term strategy of the Ministry for Social Affairs is taking care of children deprived of parental supervision, by decreasing the number of children in social care institutions and providing support for development of foster-care and providing benefits for children’s natural families. Out of the total number of children accommodated in social care institutions, 34 percent are of Roma nationality; re- integration of “kids from the streets” is of particular importance.12

Within the Roma community, as well as within the majority and other minority communities, there is an obvious economic stratification. Some members stand out for their economic strength, most often those who worked abroad or those who gained property in some other manner. The Roma who live integrated into the society, particularly those living in bigger cities, who have higher degree of education, also have a better economic position.

2.2. Employment and Types of Jobs

According to the 1991 Census, 58.2 percent of Roma population comprised the working contingent (15 – 64 years of age). However, only 27.2 percent of Roma were engaged in active work in comparison to 46 percent in general population. The unemployment rate was 4 times greater within the Roma population than within the majority population.

According to the 2002 Census, 59.6 percent of Roma population comprised the working contingent. Respective data on percentage of population engaged in active work is not available yet, but bearing in mind the economic conditions in the country, no improved situation should be expected.

Due to low education structure and discrimination practiced by the employers, Roma have access only to difficult, low paid, unappreciated and seasonal jobs. According to the 1991 Census, 40 percent of the employed Roma worked as workers, mainly doing some manual work. Certain number was categorized in groups of workers in service industry and professionals and artists (categorized musicians irrespective of formal education). Among Roma engaged in begging, there is a high percentage of children forced to do so. Children become involved in commercial activities at an early age, which is also a reason why they give up education.

Researches indicate that only 18.6 percent of household patrons/housewives are permanently employed, whereas 68.4 percent are not employed, 8.3 percent work occasionally, 1.6 percent is on paid leave while 2.6 percent are pensioners. Following

11 Draft Strategy for Integration and Empowerment of Roma 12 Draft Strategy for Integration and Empowerment of Roma, 75/76


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sources of income are most often specified: employment, agricultural works, crafts, smuggling, begging, selling recycled materials, seasonal works, social aid, pension, aid provided by relatives, humanitarian aid, grey economy, digging through garbage and money received from abroad.13

2.3. Housing Conditions

The Roma mainly live in settlements- favelas. Basic characteristics of these settlements are unhealthy and substandard housing, deprived ambiance, poor communal facilities, exclusion from the system and unregulated status. It is estimated that about two thirds of Roma live in hardest housing conditions and worst living environment. About 80 percent of Roma live in poor areas and settlements, thus being in worst situation in comparison with all other ethnic communities. 14

Research that encompassed 593 Roma settlements throughout Serbia indicated that: 43.5 percent are slums and unhygienic settlements, 44 percent are partly arranged and 11 percent are arranged; 42.7 percent of the settlements are made of uncomfortable housing objects, 5.3 percent of barracks and 1 percent of huts. Most of the settlements do have the store, electricity and road structure; There is 9.2 percent of settlements without electrical power grid; 33.6 percent of settlements have no water supply system, while in another 18.6 percent it is not accessible to everyone; There is no sewage system in 65.1 percent of settlements, while in another 10.25 percent it is not accessible to everyone; Police Station can be found in the vicinity of 25 percent of settlements, whereas the arranged playgrounds can be found in the vicinity of 19.8 percent of settlements.15

A whole 50 percent of Roma households have toilet outside the house, while one third do not have it at all. The problem of disposal of waste materials is particularly significant, since only 18.2 percent of households have appropriate waste disposal conditions.16

Types of Settlements

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%

Suburban settlement

Slum in the village

Slum in the city

Village

Others

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2.4. Health

Small number of Roma is encompassed by systematic medical check-ups due to unemployment. Children who do not attend educational institutions do not get vaccinated. Over the past several years, financial participation for healthcare services has increased, so they have become inaccessible for the poor, while Roma also encounter a negative attitude

13 Roma Settlements, Living Conditions and Possibilities for Roma Integration in Serbia 14 Draft Strategy for Reduction of Poverty in Serbia, 262 15 Roma Settlements, Living Conditions and Possibilities for Roma Integration in Serbia 16 Health of the Roma, Final Report 17 Roma Settlements, Living Conditions and Possibilities for Roma Integration in Serbia I

28% of Roma settlements in Serbia were planned, 34.6% were illegally built, and 35.4% were illegally expanded.


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of some healthcare workers. Whole 29.8 percent of Roma settlements do not have in the vicinity any medical institution/facility whatsoever.18

The data on nutrition as significant health determinant clearly indicate the seriousness of the problem and are significantly different in comparison with the general population. A whole 24 percent of Roma children and youth do not ever consume milk and dairy products, 70 percent of children eat meat less than once a week, while 40 percent never eat fresh fruits and vegetables.19

The data from the FAO’s Food Security Project in FRY indicate substantial difference between the Roma and average population in Serbia. In the majority population, 7 percent of households are “food insecure with hunger”, whereas in Roma population this share is 68.1 percent. A whole 84.7 percent of Roma households are “food insecure” and 47.2 children are “food insecure with hunger”. 20

The level of basic hygienic habits is rather low. One third of the children never brush their teeth and almost never wash their hands. Roma demonstrate insufficient care for their own health and there is also a substantial impact of traditional way of life, particularly upon the health of girls and women. The percentage of smokers is 80 percent, twice as high as within the general population. The most common health problems are chronic diseases (growth of TB), asthma, skin diseases among children and significant number of deliveries at home.21

Health status of Roma is conditioned by unemployment, poverty and lack of both general and health education. Increasing employment and education level would contribute to improvement in health status. With integration to the educational system, children would be covered by regular medical examinations and vaccines. It’s important to work on development of hygienic habits and providing preconditions for maintaining them in the settlements. This would not only prevent diseases, but also contribute to fight the prejudice and discrimination towards Roma. Rejection of Roma by others (particularly by parents of other children in the educational institutions) sometimes relates directly to the fear of infectious diseases caused by living conditions and lack of hygiene.

2.5. Social Status, Discrimination and Assimilation

The Roma obtained a status of national minority in 2002, by the Law on Protection of Rights and Freedoms of National Minorities, of the FRY. Low economic power and educational status results in the fact that the Roma almost have no social power at all; except for a small number of individuals, they are entirely absent from political life and administrative structures. A large of Roma people in Serbia are not registered and have no personal documents, thus they are unable to fulfill their fundamental civil rights.

The majority population, as well as other population, has developed an attitude of stereotypes and prejudices towards the Roma, end demonstrates an expressed social distance. The Roma are exposed to more or less disguised discrimination that is reflected in impossibility of employment even when they do have required qualifications, difficulties in

18 Roma Settlements, Living Conditions and Possibilities for Roma Integration in Serbia 19 Health of the Roma, Final Report 20 Draft Strategy for Integration and Empowerment of the Roma 21 Health of the Roma, Final Report


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fulfillment of rights, verbal and physical attacks and maximum severe court sanctions even for minor offences. Roma are exposed to the process of being assimilated by the society; wishing to protect themselves, they also contribute to this process. Wishing to adjust to the community, the Roma accept religion, customs, language and values of the majority community. Assimilation is most obvious in big cities, particularly among the Roma who are already integrated into the society with the rest of the population.

It should be emphasized that different researches indicate different degree of prejudices, stereotypes and social distance towards the Roma. Due to political and armed conflicts in the territory of former Yugoslavia, negative attitude towards some people was or still is present within the majority population, so, the attitude towards the Roma is getting better. However, Roma are still among the first five peoples not perceived by Serbs and minorities as friendly.

2.6. Particularly Vulnerable Groups

IDP: According to the data presented in the 1991 Census, 45,745 Roma lived in Kosovo, and most of them left Kosovo after 1999. In Serbia, there are some 19,000 persons with a status of internally displaced persons. The exact number is not known but it is definitely greater than the official figures since a total of 46,238 Roma displaced from Kosovo live in 593 settlements.22 Most often they live in illegal settlements or unofficial collective centers without even elementary conditions for living. They have no information about their rights and services they may use, they do not speak Serbian language, have no documents and, consequently, no right to receive humanitarian aid.

Repatriated Roma: A large number of Roma left the country and sought asylum in Western European countries, particularly in Federal Republic of Germany where, according to estimations, some 25,000-30,000 Roma from Serbia and Montenegro enjoy the status of temporary protection. However, most of these people have been refused the asylum so they will be repatriated in near future.23 Exact number of the already repatriated Roma is not known. They face serious difficulties related to existential problems, no language knowledge, and lack of proper documentation and validation of diplomas. Resolution of problems of this Roma population should be sought in cooperation with the states from which they are repatriated. If some 30,000 Roma are expected to return, and the census data indicate that 30 percent of their population is younger than the age of 15, within this category only there will be some 3,000 children who will have to be included in pre-school and primary education.

Position of Roma women is distinguished for all characteristics of a typically subordinate position of women; they are often the victims of twofold discrimination, both as women and as Roma. They enjoy a limited degree of autonomy within the family, they enter the process of biological reproduction rather early, they are active during the entire period of fertility, they take care of a large number of children and, at the same time, they are also engaged in economic activities of the family.

Kids from the streets – Roma children without parental care, whose exact number is not known and whose living conditions are exceptionally hard. A total of 250 children and 22 Roma Settlements, Living Conditions and Possibilities for Roma Integration in Serbia 23 Draft Strategy for Integration and Empowerment of the Roma


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youth under the age of 24 have been registered in the city of Belgrade only. There is no defined approach to this population; what age is treated as children and youth without parental care, and which of them are treated as the homeless.

Problems of these populations, that are extraordinarily substantial, have been handled mainly by the NGOs and not by competent institutions, i.e. educational, social care, etc.

3. Education – Enrolling, Quitting and Completing the School 3.1. Rights, Problems and Discrimination in Education

Right to Education

The Constitution of Serbia - Education shall be accessible to everyone under equal conditions, Article 32.

The Law on Bases of Education System: Citizens of the Republic of Serbia shall be equal in fulfillment of the right to education, irrespective of sex, race, nationality, religion and language, physical and mental constitution, social and cultural origin, material status, political orientation or other personal quality, Article 4. The education system shall provide: accessibility of education; opportunities for education under equal conditions even in economically undeveloped regions, as well as in socially, i.e. culturally less supportive environments, Article 2.

Problems in Education

Problems of Roma education have accumulated over the years since there was neither systematic approach to their resolution, nor the willingness of competent bodies and institutions, which have justified the insufficient engagement by the lack of Roma motivation.

Poor families cannot bear the expenses incurred by children education. They hardly utilize possibilities for subsidized pre-school education provided by the law for the poor families. Both primary and secondary education is free of charge, however the textbooks and accessories are rather expensive. Children do not have proper clothing and footwear, whereas the aid provided is not sufficient. In the school year 2001/2002, 9.6 percent of Roma children completely or partially received textbooks and accessories, 4.7 percent received clothing and footwear, and about 5 percent received financial aid for excursions.24 There is no elaborate system of scholarships for pupils of secondary schools and students.

The network of schools and kindergartens is not conformed with Roma needs, which are a results of the way of life. Most of the settlements do not have a regulated status and there are no respective plans to build school buildings. It is necessary to jointly treat the status of settlements and planning of educational institutions network.Locations where most of the Roma live are far away from educational institutions and quite often not connected to public transportation.

24 Roma Settlements, Living Conditions and Possibilities for Roma Integration in Serbia


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Position of Preschool Institutions and Primary Schools and Roma Settlements25

Preschool Institutions - % of settlements Primary Schools - % of settlements

Within the settlement 15.9% 21.5%Less than 1 km 21.7% 30.0%More than 1 km 20.0% 27.3%Not in vicinity 41.0% 20.0%Other 1.4% 1.2%

Comprehensive Analysis of Primary Education in FRY findings show that network of Primary Schools in Serbia provides generally good accessibilty. Approx. 70% of settlements have a primary school. 8,3% of the total school population in Central Serbia (mostly in the underdeveloped mountainous areas) and 3,3% in Vojvodina attends incomplete schools – 4-grades only outposts of larger schools. Schooling from 5th to 8th grade has to be continued in the larger schools, to which location students need to travel. Over 23,000 students aren’t provided/don’t have available transport, resulting in their walking 4-15 km to the schools. Data on whether there are Rroma students in this group and in what number is unavailable.

Comparison of data from the two researchs (presented above) indicates that while in total approx. 70% settlements Serbia have a primary school, such is the case with only 21.5% Rroma settlements. School is far away for 11.6% of primary school students in Serbia in total, but it’s far for almost 50% of Rroma students.

Educational institutions do not have sufficient funds even for regular programs and maintenance of schools, let alone the special programs.

The Roma often do not perceive the value of formal education, and the uneducated parents can hardly help their children in the learning process.

Large percentage of total Roma children has a double half-linguility, lacking a proper basis in any of the languages (Draft Strategy for Improvement of Education of Roma in Serbia). This means that they are not proficient in either language, either in Roma or Serbian (or Hungarian or another language spoken in their environment. Data on this issue are unavailable and our findings are based on information from the Roma community and NGOs. Also, a large percentage of children enroll in Primary Schools without knowledge of the language of schooling.

Discrimination in Education

The Law on Bases of Education System

Within the institutions, all activities are prohibited that endanger, disdain or discriminate groups or individuals on the basis of race, nationality, language, religious or sexual affiliation, physical or mental constitution, age, social and cultural background, material status and political orientation, as well as encouraging of such activities. Physical violence and insulting of personality of children and adults are prohibited. Discrimination includes

25 Roma Settlements, Living Conditions and Possibilities for Roma Integration in Serbia


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any employment or exclusion of differences aimed at prevention or fulfillment of rights, Article 46.

Rights of children and pupils are fulfilled in compliance with the verified international agreements, this and special laws, whereas the institution is obliged to ensure their fulfillment and particularly the right to: respect for personality, protection from discrimination and violence, same Law, Article 95. The student, parent or foster parent can file a written complaint to the School Principal in case of inappropriate employees’ treatment of the student, within 15 days from the day when the said case has happened. The School Principal shall decide about the complaint, in consultations with the student and parent, within the term of 15 days. The employees are obliged to report violations of the child’s right, Article 95.

The Law on Alterations and Amendments of the Law on Primary Education (Articles 1 and 29) and The Law on Alterations and Amendments of the Law on Secondary Education (Article 1 and 28) also prohibit the activities that jeopardize or disdain groups and individuals on any bases, physical punishment and insulting of child personality. The laws stipulate financial penalties and dismissal from the teaching process of all those who violate such prohibition, encourage such activity or do not prevent it.

In educational institutions, Roma children are often exposed to both concealed and public discrimination demonstrated by the teaching personnel, school management, children and parents from the majority population, reflected by sitting in the rear benches in classroom, negative attitude of educational personnel and parents, other children’s rejection to play with them and verbal and physical assaults. Even the more serious forms of violations of children’s rights have not been sanctioned.26 Although the anti-discriminatory legal regulations have been significantly improved over the past two years, that is a short period in practice and it is necessary to define the procedures more precisely. The anti-discriminatory system in education is discriminatory for the Roma since it is not adjusted to them, they must know the rights and administrative procedure and file written complaints. Supervisory service of the MoE and its local departments is not trained to monitor and sanction discriminatory activities in educational institutions, so, its development in this field is required.

3.2. Pres-school Education

System: Pre-school education was regulated by the Law on Social Care of Children, which was abolished in 2002. The programs of work were (and still are): All-day program for children of up to 7 years of age, they were not compulsory, parents had to pay part of the expense and poor families were subsidized. Beside regular groups, there were also groups for children with special needs, for hospitalized children, etc. Preparation for school – two forms: 5x5 and 2x3 fours per week. It was compulsory only in Vojvodina and free of charge. Beside the regular ones there were also groups for children with special needs, hospitalized children, etc. Primary schools had possibilities to realize preparation programs for children from minority groups. The law for this filed is still in preparation. Presently, this field is regulated only by the Law on Bases of Education System that prescribes compulsory, free of charge preparation one year before enrollment in school as of 2006, in

26 Draft Strategy for Improvement of Education of Roma in Serbia


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duration of 4 hours per day, which can be organized in kindergartens and primary schools. The system comprises 181 pre-school institutions with large number of premises.

Capacities of pre-school institutions are small. There are no precise data on how many children they can enroll. The Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper for Serbia cites that a total of 22% of the overall pre-school population attends state pre-school institutions. According to the Ministry and Education and Sport 2003/2004 school-year data, 162, 825 children or 32.9% of the total 1-7 year-olds attended state pre-school programs; 50.6% od the total 5-7 year-olds attended pre-school programs. UNICEF’s research The Many Faces of Poverty (conducted in 8 districts: 4 undeveloped, 3 with a large share of Roma population and one with a large number of IDPs), encompassing 677 families show that 11.8 percent of the children under 3 and 44.4 percent of 4-6- year olds attended pre-school institutions. These data show that the attendance of children is not uniform and is smaller in underdeveoped districts and districts with a large Roma and IDP population.

Roma children: There are no official data on the numbers of Roma children in pre-school institutions, and the Roma and Education research merely cites that only 7% of Roma children attend official pre-school programs, but does not specify the age of the children. Some of the reasons for the low attendance of Roma children are distant location of institutions, way of life, bad experiences, distrust in institutions and their non-adjustment to the needs of Roma children. Consequences of the lack of pre-school education are substantial, particularly since the families are unable to compensate it. The children often do not get adequate family upbringing, they are either not taken care of while the parents are at work or they are looked after by elder brothers and sisters, they do not have toys or any didactic material. Lack of adequate early stimulation makes them unprepared for school and determines their unequal position among the other children of same age.

Over the past years, there is an increase in number of children encompassed by various extrainstitutional programs realised by NGOs in Roma settlements and educational institutions. However, the exact number of those children is not known although, according to some estimations it is about 1,000 – 2,000 per year. Programs are usually intended as preparation for enrollment in school, they are not always of a required quality and, whenever they are conducted in Roma settlements, supervisory and monitoring services of the MoE have no insight in the programs.

It is estimated that number of Roma children of pre-school age is about 60.708, less than 10% percent is encompassed by pre-school formal (7%) and informal (1.6–3.3%) education, whereas the children of the age bellow 3 are not encompassed at all.

3.3. Primary (Compulsory) Education

System: Attendance of primary eight-year education is compulsory for all children from the age of 7 to the age of 15. The pupils who complete attendance of the 8th grade can extraordinarily take respective class exams by the age of 17. The system is comprised of 1,150 schools, many of which have various premises and detached classes.

Enrolling, Quitting and Completing the School: In the Comprehensive Analysis of Primary Education in FRY we find that there's no reliable information on primary education coverage, due to unclear data on students from refugee, IDP and Rroma families. On the basis of the household survey in 2000, it's been estimated that 97.4% of primary-school-


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aged children in Serbia are enrolled in primary schools. According to the UNICEF research findings (The Many Faces of Poverty, conducted in districts which are undeveloped and with large number of Roma and IDP), 11.4 percent of children in the research sample do not go to school, whereas in Vojvodina this percentage is even higher – 17.5 percent. This indicates that in the underdeveloped, higher IDP and Roma presence areas larger percentage of children remains out of the educational system.

Data on schooling have not been maintained on the basis of nationality, so, the insight in real situation over the past years in not possible. Preparation of the information system in the MoE is in progress and it is necessary to solve the problem of collection of information. The MoE collected data on Roma pupils for the first time in the 2002/03 school year, based upon information provided by the teachers. Even though the data are not reliable enough, incomplete (data for 2 districts are missing) and have not been processed yet, they are nevertheless relevant in view of preparations to establish a Database. Information related to the school year 2003/2004 is still being collected.

Data of the MoE on students for the school year 2002/2003

Students Roma Students

Total Total In regular classes In special classes

430,547 17,323 15,218 2,105

100% (4.02%) (3.53%) No data

Data of the pilot stage of national tests of educational achievements of 3rd grade students in Serbia in the 2003/04 school-year

The national testing was conducted by the Evaluation Center and supported by the World Bank Republic of Serbia Education Improvement Project. The data are currently being processed and only certain data are now available.

The tested sample was representative for the population of 3rd grade pupils in Serbia’s primary schools. Identification of Roma pupils was based on information provided by the teachers. Number of Roma pupils – Around 2,500 Roma pupils attended 3rd grade in Serbia, i.e. 3% of the total number of all 3rd grade pupils. Breakdown by sex – Boys accounted for 56% of Roma pupils and 51% of non-Roma pupils. This difference does not bear significance in terms of statistics and the conclusion that fewer Roma girls than boys attend school cannot be drawn. Educational level of Roma pupils’ parents – Data show that round 20% of the parents of Roma pupils have not completed primary schools, that 60% completed primary education and that 20% completed secondary education. The educational status of parents of Roma children is significantly lower than that of parents of non-Roma pupils. Staying back a grade - 5% of Roma pupils and 0.2% of non-Roma pupils stayed back a grade by 3rd grade, which is a difference of statistical significance. An analysis of the sample of pupils who have stayed back a grade shows 70% of them are Roma and 30% non-Roma.


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The MoE data for the school year 2002/2003 indicate a significant decrease in number of Roma children from 1st to 8th grade, but it is rather difficult to estimate respective numbers of dropouts since the numbers of children who commenced each grade is also unknown. The MoE does not maintain any records of reasons for quitting school, so it is unknown whether the children quit school or just move to some other school or a city.

Number of Roma children in respective grades I II III IV V VI VII VII

3,206 2,348 1,882 1,747 1,732 1,355 1,018 944

Small number of Roma children commence education, particularly from the most endangered groups: Girls are sometimes prevented by their parents since they have to prepare for marriage and household obligations (30 percent of girls enroll in school and 70 percent of boys do the same27); Children of repatriated asylum seekers, due to adaptation, lack of language knowledge, lack of documents on completed education and problems with authentication of diplomas; Children of seasonal workers due to frequent relocation; Children too old for regular education and too young for education of adults; Children displaced from Kosovo, with unresolved status, language barrier, without documents; Children-beggars without parental care.

During the compulsory assessment of readiness for enrollment in 1st grade, a significant number of kids is categorized and designated to special schools. This happens to majority of those kids since the tests used are inadequate and standardized for majority population, psychologists/pedagogues and members of the commission for designation are not familiar with Roma problematic, children do not know the language and have no knowledge, as well as due to pseudo retardness and educational deprivation. Even though there is an obligation that children from deprived environments which are designated to special schools should be retested after one year, quite often it does not happen so they are deprived of a chance to transfer to regular schools. Sometimes even the children enrolled in regular schools are directed to special schools. Parents who do not want their children to attend these schools do not know and cannot fulfill their rights. Wrong enrollment of children has been decreased over the past 2-3 years, mainly by the engagement of NGOs. Programs preparing children for school help the children learn the language in which they will be schooled and master the necessary skills to pass the 1st grade admission tests, which enable them enrollment in regular schools.

Many Roma children irregularly attend classes since they cannot comprehend lectures due to lack of language knowledge as well as of preliminary knowledge. Overabundant curricula require active parental assistance, which cannot be provided by uneducated families, and the schools are not interested to organize it in an adequate manner, even though they are obliged to do so. Consequently, the children have poor performance and loose motivation and self-respect.

Many of these children quit school, some during the first three grades and many more in the problematic fifth grade, when they encounter subject teaching and when the teachers have

27 Roma from Nisava, 18


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fewer contacts with children. Quitting is also affected by poor performance, engagement in work activities and taking care of younger family members, early starting of family.

In the city of Nis, 75 percent of Roma children enroll in primary school but only some 25 percent complete it. As much as 78.8 percent of Roma in Nis did not complete primary school. More than 50 percent quit school between 4th and 5th grade. Most of the Roma girls of the age from 13 to 14 and more, do not attend school; although, there is a decrease in tendency of Roma girls to quit school between 5th and 8th grade, girls quit school slightly more often than boys (52% against 49%).28

Problem of Ghettoization A particular problem is expansion of the process of ghettoization of Roma from the settlements in nearby primary schools, although the exact number of those schools is not known. Due to growing number of Roma children, children of other nationalities as well as Roma children from the families with better material position leave such schools. Teaching personnel encounter numerous problems and teaching quality becomes worse, so those schools gain characteristics of a deprived environment in which everyone is dissatisfied, the employees, children and their families. Those schools did not get any assistance from the Ministry of Education and the local community; their problems have been structured over the years and can hardly be resolved. It is necessary to prepare a plan of measures for those schools. Bearing in mind the plans for greater participation of Roma children in schools, decrease in number of children within the general population and opportunities provided to parents to choose the school, there is a reasonable risk that the number of such schools can grow bigger, particularly in the vicinity of Roma settlements.

Valid regulations envisage the existence of school districts and a school is obliged to enroll every child residing within its district. A parent may choose which school his/her child will go to. If s/he wishes to enroll the child in a school in a district in which the family does not reside, the parent must submit an application for admission to the desired school, which decides on the application with a view to its capacities. Children most often attend the school closest to their homes. The few children who go to other schools, most often go there because their parents opt for a school with better equipment or instruction, et al. Pupils rarely change schools; those that change schools most often do so because they moved, or had a conflict with their peers or teachers, or stayed back a grade, etc.

As they have the legal right to choose a school, parents of non-Roma children enroll their children in schools with a lower percentage of Roma pupils and the schools with a larger percent of Roma pupils in time become schools with majority Roma pupils. There is no legislation dealing with the issue of segregated schools, either preventively or by dealing with spontaneous segregation.

One such school is Vuk Karadžic u Nišu. It is situated near a Roma settlement, and over 80% of the enrolled children are Roma. In the 2003/04 school-year, all sixty children who enrolled in 1st grade were Roma. In the 2004/2005 school-year, 11 of the 35 enrolled first-graders were of Serbian and the rest of Roma nationality. The number of non-Roma pupils was small in the past as well and did not reflect the national breakdown of the population in the vicinity of the school.



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The example of the Niš school shows that the problem of seggregation has developed over the years and had not been dealt with either at the local level nor by the MoE. The school’s facilities are in a bad state, the quality of instruction is lower and the teaching staff is demotivated as it has no assistance in resolving the problems it is facing; the logical consequence of all this is that children from non-Roma or well- to-do Roma families do not enroll in this school. The school’s problems are being addressed by the OSF project Equal Chances (see description on page ...), in which CIP – The Center for Interactive Pedagogy and the Nis-based Roma Integration Center have been involved since the 2002/03 school-year. In addition to a series of project activities implemented in the school, the MoE, local MoE department in Nis and the city municipal administration have been encouraged to take a more active part in resolving the school’s problems. Solutions that may become a model for deseggrating other schools are expected to be defined within the project.

If the estimated number of Roma children of primary school age is about 82,800 and according to the MoE data about 17,300 attend schools, more than 65,500 should be included into the education system.

3.4. Secondary Education

System: Secondary education is not compulsory but it is free of charge for the enrolled students. The system of secondary education comprises grammar schools (general and specialized), professional schools, mixed schools, art schools, secondary schools for education of adults and secondary schools for children with special needs, the Law on Bases of Education System. Out of the total number of 550 secondary schools, there are 327 professional schools attended by 75 percent of the secondary school students. General secondary schools last 4, while professional secondary schools last 2, 3 or 4 years.

Roma students: Roma rarely enroll in secondary schools, particularly the ones of general orientation (grammar schools) that enable further education as well as the more prestigious professional schools. They mainly attend two-year or three-year professional schools in which they can enroll more easily since there are no enrollment/qualification exams. These schools are supposed to enable the entry into the world of work, however, the teaching quality is unbalanced, the curricula are not adjusted to the economic needs, they are not open for the local community needs and they have become the source of unemployment. There are an extraordinarily small number of girls in secondary schools. Only one third of Roma girls who complete the primary school enroll in secondary school.29 Young Roma who get to secondary schools are better motivated for education and usually come from the families already integrated into the society, which have better economic and educational position.

The number of Roma secondary school pupils is increasing thanks to scholarships, preparation for enrollment, Roma NGOs and affirmative action measures. In the 2003/04 school year, 39 Roma pupils enrolled in secondary schools, while some 40 will be enrolled in the 2004/05 school year thanks to the affirmative action measures taken by the MoE.

3.5. Special Education



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Until the year 2001, 15 percent of children and youth (bellow the age of 18) with special needs attended special schools, whereas 162,000 were not encompassed by the education system. The special education system is parallel to the regular one. Te network is unevenly distributed and institutions are mainly located in bigger cities. Some of the special schools are organised as boarding schools and provide children with textbooks, clothing and footwear.

Pre-school institutions may form development groups for children with special needs (37 groups) or may include such children in regular groups (no data on how many children are encompassed). Only 1 percent of these children are encompassed.

Primary education is conducted in special schools attended by children with the same form of special needs (in the 2000/01 school-year, there were 47 such schools with 7,560 pupils), and special classes in regular schools attended by children with same or different form of special needs (in the 2000/01 school-year, there were 211 classes in 70 schools, attended by 1,374 pupils). In the 2000/01 school-year, 8,099 children with special needs were registered in regular classes (the research was conducted in only 97 schools, so the overall number of children is unknown).

The Law on Alterations and Amendments of the Law on Primary Education stipulates the manner of assignment of children at the beginning and during the primary education, composition of commissions for assessment of children with special needs, manner of decision-making in assignment of children and filing of parents complaints. The complaint is considered by competent municipal/city body based upon opinion of special medical commission. The parent is obliged to enroll the child in school designated by final decision, Article 18.

According to some estimations, Roma comprise 50-80 percent of the total number of children in special schools and special classes within the regular schools (in Belgrade 80-85%). Most of these children have been wrongly assigned.

The program implemented in special schools and classes is shorter and simpler than the one in regular schools, methods of work and low expectations from the children are inappropriate for their abilities. In such environments, Roma children cannot develop their natural capacities and become stigmatized by a label of children from special schools, although, they may feel safe if they comprise majority. Special classes in regular schools are ghettoized, children have no contacts with other children of the same age, and sometimes they work in entirely inappropriate premises.

Secondary education is conducted in: special secondary schools for children suffering from the same form of disability (in the 2000/01 school-year, there were 33 such schools with 1,269 pupils); special classes in regular secondary schools (in the 2000/01 school-year, there were such classes in 11 schools, with 50-90 pupils in each school); inclusion of children in regular classes. Children in special schools and classes are offered professional orientation with no career prospects and a low quality of education.

3.6. High Education

The system is comprised of: Higher education lasting 2 and 3 years and University education lasting 4-6 years (which also enables postgraduate and specialist studies).


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Studying is free of charge for regular students financed from the budget, textbooks are expensive and tuition fees are rather high for the paying students.

The number of Roma students is rather small in both of these forms. In the University of Nis there are only 45-50 Roma students among the total number of 10,000 students.30 There is no department for Roma Studies that could educate teachers for Roma Language and Culture. Romology Studies have been realized as a course for University of Niš students, while Teaching Council of Univeristy of Novi Sad approved School Of Romology as a course in the winter semester of the academic 2004/05. There are few Roma students who will be future teachers. During education, future teaching personnel do not acquire knowledge required for work with Roma children, youth and families.

The number of Roma students is increasing thanks to scholarships provided by foundations, and the activities of Roma and students NGOs that contributed to better information and preparation of the youth for enrollment in colleges/faculties. Information on students are not maintained according to their nationality, while databases are maintained within the University and faculties, so there are no unified data for the whole country.

3.7. Education of Adults

It encompasses professional education, acquiring of skills, professional development and informal education for persons over the age of 18 (although persons over the age of 15 may enroll), who are not enrolled in a secondary school or university/college. It is not legally regulated, practically there is no system, and it is marginalized in various aspects and is treated as a personal interest.

Formal education – leads to conference of nationally recognized diplomas and qualifications

Primary education of adults – There are 16 schools with about 200 classes, working by advanced program in order to enable the students to catch up with their peers and obtain the right to secondary education, where it is possible to regularly attend the 1st grade until the age of 17. Less than 0.5% of the population has not completed primary education. 31 Programs are inadequate (ad hoc reduced regular school curricula), the instruction and tuition methods are not adapted to the students’ profile, the teachers are inadequately trained and there are no textbooks. In some of these schools, Roma comprise over 90 percent of students, even though they are of a regular primary school age (too old for enrollment in regular schools, drop-out).32 An analysis of the situation in these schools is needed (number of Roma children/youths, performance and completion of such schools, prospects of transfer to regular schools, prospects of continuing education). The experience of the teaching staff in these schools should be incorporated in developing the program of work and other activities.

Secondary education of adults – Secondary schools were open also to adults until 1992, but have since stopped organizing classes, only the extraordinary exams. They are not equipped for work with adults either in terms of program or staffing, and the teaching content is not

30 Roma from Nisava, 18 31 Quality Education for All – Road to Developed Society 32 Roma and Education, 27-29


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suited to the needs of the users. A manner of acquiring professional secondary education has not been defined.

Professional education – professional training in the formal and informal systems. A lesser part of it is conducted in the formal (secondary vocational schools, junior colleges and universities), but it is mostly conducted in the informal education system. Training is provided for vocations which are not functional and for which there is no demand on the labor market. The system is undeveloped, rigid and the roles of institutions are not clearly defined.

Informal Education – education acquired outside the formal education system programs. Workers’, Peoples’ and Open universities have an unregulated status and may not organize formal education and issue valid diplomas, wherefore they have been excluded from the state budgeting system. Since the nineties, the number of these institutions has dropped by 2/3s and the existing ones are on the verge of survival.

Roma do not participate in education of adults, although they do have an extraordinary need for literacy courses, obtainment of professional qualifications, professional retraining, etc. Roma NGOs conduct various activities in the field of education of adults, and particularly women (literacy courses, improvement of parental skills, household management, etc.).

3.8. Education in Minority Languages

Members of nationa l minorities have the right to education in their mother tongue provided by the Constitution of Serbia, Article 32, and the Law on Protection of Rights and Freedoms of National Minorities, Article 7.

The Law on Bases of Education System provides this right in pre-school, primary and secondary education. Until better conditions are provided, a bilingual schooling will be provided or learning of minority language with elements of history and culture. Preparation of curriculum for these forms will engage the national council of the minority, Article 13. ...within the scope of higher and high education, departments and faculties shall be provided for education in the languages of national minorities or bilingual education of teachers for languages of national minorities, Article 14.

The Law on Primary School (Article 5) and the Law on Secondary School (Article 5), from the year 1992, regulate the right to education in mother tongue or bilingual education for at least 15 students, or, for a lesser number with an authorization of the Minister of Education. In the environments where such forms do not exist, curriculum includes the program in native language and culture. The Laws on Higher Schools and University also regulate this matter (1992, 1993).

Establishment of education system in Roma language in practice requires elimination of certain impediments (lack of teaching personnel, nonexistence of textbooks and standardized Roma language).33

This education is most developed in Vojvodina, where it is conducted in five languages (Hungarian, Romanian, Ruthenian, Croatian and Slovak) in primary and secondary education, and it is conducted in Albanian in some primary and secondary schools in the

33 Draft Strategy for Improvement of Education of Roma in Serbia


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Southern Serbia. Higher and high education in minority language exists in Vojvodina for teaching occupations, as well as the departments for minority languages.

In the environments where teaching is conducted in Serbian, the pupils have an optional subject Native Language with Elements of National Culture, twice a week in all eight grades. In Vojvodina, it is regularly organized for four minorities, while it is organized in Bulgarian in several schools only.

There are no schools/departments where teaching is conducted in Roma language or bilingually; some attempts were made within some projects. The subject Roma Language and Culture is tough in several schools in Vojvodina, Lazarevac and Obrenovac.

There are no prerequisites for education in the Roma language at an level of schooling. Clear consensus on the Roma language in which instruction would be held, professional staff who could teach in the Roma language, textbooks, are all missing. Bilingual education is possible and needed at the pre-school and lower form primary level of education. This could be ensured by the introduction of Roma Teaching Assistants in pre-schools and primary schools. elective instruction in Roma Language and Culture ought to be organized where there is interest for such a subject in the Roma community and a sufficient number of pupils. Hitherto experience has shown the Roma parents and pupils are not very interested in the subject, but the factors that have effected their lack of interest need to be analysed in detail. It remains to be seen whether the Roma community does not have interest in this form of cultivating its identity at all or because of the subject content, the staff’s qualifications, the manner of instruction.

4. Education Quality and Student Performance

4.1. Student Performance Data on schooling have not been maintained on the basis of nationality, so, the insight in real situation over the past years in not possible.

The MoE data on student performance of Roma students in the school year 2002/2003 Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Total

1,035 2,087 4,735 2,915 3,298 14,070 7.4%* 14.8% 33.7% 20.7% 23.4% 100%

*Percentage of the total number of Roma pupils for whom performance data were available (14,070).

Since no data on student performance is available for all children, it is not possible to compare the performance of Roma children with other children. It is also not quite clear whether the children in category Unsatisfactory have completed the grade or not. Pupils with on or two unsatisfactory grades at the end of the school year have to take extra exams and if they do not pass them, they have to attend the same grade once again. The pupils with three unsatisfactory grades attend the same grade once again.

Data of the pilot stage of the national testing of school performance of 3rd grade pupils in Serbia in the 2003/04.g. school-year, Evaluation Center Grades in the Serbian Language, Mathematics and overall performance at the end of 3rd grade – Analysis of the grades and overall performance at the end of 3rd grade shows that Roma


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pupils have considerably lower grades in the Serbian Language and Mathematics and a lower overall performance (see below table).

Data on school grades of Roma and non-Roma pupils in Serbian and Mathematics and data on overall performance at the end of 3rd grade of primary school

Serbian Language Mathematics Overall Performance Grade Non-Roma Roma Non-Roma Roma Non-Roma Roma

1 0.9% 9.0% 3.0% 18.4% 1.5% 7.1% 2 9.0% 36.1% 13.4% 48.9% 1.4% 12.1% 3 19.5% 32.6% 21.7% 14.9% 12.2% 42.9% 4 29.5% 11.1% 29.0% 9.9% 29.2% 24.3% 5 41.1% 11.1% 32.9% 7.8% 55.8% 13.6%

Average grade 4.01 2.79 3.75 2.40 4.36 3.25

Performance at national test – If the tested pupils were divided into five equal categories, (1 – 20% very low performance, 2 – 20% low performance, 3 – 20% average performance, 4 – 20% high performance, i 5 – 20% outstanding performance), data show that most Roma pupils faill within the 1st category. If these categories were treated as a national grade in Serbian and Math, this would imply that most Roma pupils do not have even a minimal level of key knowledge pupils are to master in the first three years of schooling! (see below table). Moreover, the division would show that as many as 80% of the Roma pupils have below-average performance!

Education Performance of Roma Pupils at National Testing Category Serbian Language Mathematics

1 (20% extremely lower performance) 60.0% 59.4% 2 (20% low performance) 19.3% 21.0% 3 (20% average performance) 13.1% 11.9% 4 (20% high performance) 3.4% 5.6% 5 (20% outstanding performance) 4.1% 2.1%

4.2. Education Quality

Lowest education quality is provided to Roma children who are wrongly enrolled in special schools, since the program and manner of work are not adjusted to their abilities. Teachers educated ath te Faculty of Defectology, work in special schools and classes. Their college education trains them to work with children with special needs and they receive additional training afterwards. The quality of their training and work is similar to the general average quality of other teachers. Roma children in special schools usually have normal capabilities and the special needs teachers’ training is not adequate for work with them.

In regular institutions they often do not receive the education quality equal to the one received by other children, since they do not attend classes regularly, and the legally provided compulsory additional classes for children requiring learning assistance is either insufficient or irregular, so, quite often the curricula are not entirely accomplished with


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these children. Children are transferred from one grade to the other even though they lack necessary knowledge. This is particularly present in schools/classes with large number of Roma children. Teaching personnel suffering the pressure of majorit y community, enjoying lower social status, lacking community support and assistance, thus loosing motivation for work. Grading criteria are lowered in order to make the children motivated and keep them in school, to protect professional reputation of the school and ensure sufficient number of pupils. Lowered standards enable the children to get primary education diplomas but decrease their abilities for further education since they lack the knowledge required for enrollment in secondary schools, so the only schools remaining are the ones without enrolling/qualifying exams.

4.3. Education System

It is rather difficult to describe the education system, since the attained status is interlaced with the reform changes and changes of the reform.

Characteristics of the old education system (before reform), such as: extreme centrality, uniformity and lack of diversification, excessive regulation, focusing upon education goals and curricula instead of students, reducing of education system to the schooling system, orientation towards quantity instead of quality end efficiency34 had all affected a low Roma participation in education. The system did not have an inclusive approach to education; the institutions were not adjusted in terms of organization and program to the needs of children and families of the sensitive groups (poor, disabled, chronically ill, from deprived environments). The education system is not sensitive to the minority culture; programs, textbooks and the teaching process itself have very few contents that are the elements from minority culture and even if there are some, instead of promoting inter-cultural values and preparing children for coexistence, they are presented in a manner that generates new stereotypes and prejudices. Curricula have no contents related to the Roma language, culture and tradition; environments of educational institutions attended by Roma children have no signs in Roma language or other elements indicating that those children also use them.35

Education Reform 2001-2003

The reform commenced in 2001 includes decentralization, democratization, education quality improvement, coordination with economic sector, improvement of infrastructure and furnishing in institutions. The goal was development of open, righteous, measurable, efficient and regulated school system which contributes to: the economic revival of the state, the democratic development of the state, and its future European integration.

All stakeholders in the education process were involved in the reform processes. Experts in different fields took part in the work of committees focusing on the problems of decentralization, democratization, education and professional training and development of the teachers, quality education assurance, pre-school education, secondary vocational education, adult and lifelong learning, education of children with special needs, the development of a strategy for improving the education of Roma in Serbia, school curriculum design. The NGO sector was also involved, as it was recognized as an important

34 Comprehensive Analysis of Primary Education in FRY 35 Draft Strategy for Development of Roma Education in Serbia


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partner in the following fields: democracy and human rights education, training teachers on modern methods of work with pupils and training on tolerance, peace and nonviolent conflict resolution. Regional and international cooperation was developed at various levels.

The Key Changes Accomplished in This Period Until 2004: In 2003, the Law on the Bases of the Educational System was adopted; so-called umbrella law on pre-school, primary and secondary education, which defines the matters of legal framework and national interest in this field, and which institutionally supports all reform processes that have been launched. At the national level, management of the system was altered and professional councils and institutions - centers were set up. At the school level, training on management, administration and teamwork was launched. The parents were awarded an equal number of seats on the school boards and the role of the Parental Council was upgraded. Pupils were given greater opportunity to join in the life of the school through Pupil Parliaments. An information system in education that is being developed. A system of professional development program accreditation was drafted and teacher licensing system was designed; the teacher competency criteria and standards were being formulated. Three three-year cycles of compulsory primary education were established; obligatory, elective and facultative subjects making up the curriculum were introduced; the focus of teaching shifted from content to goals and outcomes; when designing their annual syllabus, the schools are guided by national goals and outcomes, but have a degree of autonomy in each education cycle. Implementation of the new 1st grade curriculum began in the 2003/04 school year. A new concept of supervision in the school system was developed, envisaging professional pedagogical supervision and school inspection for Quality Assurance. Civil Education has been implemented as optional and facultative subject in primary and secondary schools (5,421 teachers passed the training). This subject encourages development of children in the spirit of observance of human rights, peace, tolerance, sex equality, mutual understanding and respect among the peoples, national and religious groups.

Improvement of education of minorities36 is envisaged in the second phase (as of 2003), with the aim of ensuring equality, quality and access of education to national minority members. A MoE expert group would make an assessment of the educational needs of minorities, review the current practice and identify the problems; it would then proceed to draft a strategy of minority education, which would be coordinated with reforms in all areas.

Education of vulnerable groups 37 - The elaboration of a clear national policy in this area was also to take place in the 2nd stage of the reform and the first step was to set up working groups. Roma were qualified as the most the socially and educationally vulnerable group; other vulnerable groups include children and youth with special needs, groups risking to be marginalized, dropouts, illiterate adults, etc. Unfortunately, reform was halted before the implementation of the 2nd stage began.

The reform mostly focused on primary education. The new school concept was suitable for integration of Roma into schools and quality improvement of education provided. The educational process was child-centered so that the planning of work was based upon the children’s’ individual needs and abilities; The programs of work of both the schools and teachers inc luded the activities that responded to the needs of the children and specific traits

36 Quality Education for All – Road to More Developed Society 37 Quality Education for All – Road to More Developed Society


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of the local community, which would enable schools with a larger number of Roma children to plan and implement various activities aimed at integrating children in school, helping them learn, developing adequate forms of cooperation with Roma families, et al. Intensive specialized training of teachers comprised training in new methods of instruction in which the child was an active participant, which involved monitoring and observation of children. The new 1st grade curriculum introduced children to education in a more playful manner, the children were more active, and the activities more diverse, the grades were descriptive rather than numerical, following the children’s performance.

Changes to Reform in 2004 The new administration in the MoE commenced its mandate in 2004 stating that everything that had been started within the reform should be stopped and reconsidered. This attitude was subsequently moderated, so the reforms have been continued with changes, but there is no obvious strategic concept of further reform course. The Law on Alterations and Amendments of the Law on Bases of Education System adopted in 2004 has turned the reform course towards greater centralization. The accreditation system has been abolished and the MoE prescribes the program for professional development. Licensing is turned into a working permit. Regarding the curriculum, orientation is focused upon accomplishment of goals and tasks and not the outcomes, teaching is focused upon contents and learning tasks, realization of prescribed teaching plans and programs defined by the National Education Council. Communication seminars (this is a term used by the MoE but it remains unclear whether they involve only seminars advance communication skills and conflict resolution or other seminars which are not specific for certain subjects) have been stopped (except those for inter-ethnic relations), while all the others are being reconsidered.

Law on Bases of Education System passed in 2003 envisaged 10 years of compulsory education: one-year of preparation for school (for 5-6 year-olds) and nine years of primary education (6-15 year-olds). The 2004 amendments to this Law shortened compulsory education to 9 years: 1 year of preparation for school (6-7 year-olds) and 8 years of primary education (7-14 year-olds). As we can see, the first law had two provisions of significance to Roma children: earlier involvement in compulsory education and longer schooling. For a Roma child, who is often neglected, earlier involvement in the education system would mean a lot, not only in terms of education and social welfare, but also in terms of health (annual medical check-ups). Longer primary education helps enhance the educational status of every nation, including of the Roma nation.

Reform changes brought about a series of unfavorable consequences, the most prominent of which is the loss of motivation amongst teaching staff, which had been increased by the launched reform (after many years). In addition to the lack of clarity about the course of the reform, there is also confusion over the program of work, the training of teachers has been halted, inclusive education is assessed negatively, prescribed curricula apply to all children and do not allow for an individualized approach, etc.

All these changes do not offer the prospects for greater participation of Roma children and their better quality education because they restore the traits of the old educational system, which were not conducive to Roma pupils.

4.4. Teaching Personnel


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Due to poor working conditions and low salaries, the teaching personnel have been loosing the motivation for work. Higher schools and Colleges for teachers still work by old methodologies, and the teachers lack sufficient psychological, pedagogical and methodological knowledge. The personnel are not professionally trained for implementation of contemporary interactive methods of work, individualization of teaching, integrative approach to education and cooperation with the family and inclusion of various marginalized children groups. Teaching process is uninteresting and unadjusted to all children. In general, teaching personnel have no knowledge of problems and Roma culture, do not know Roma language and have no motivation to put in additional efforts.

Informal information provided by the teachers show that even those who want to do so, do not have enough knowledge and do not enjoy system support while, at the same time, they encounter misunderstanding of both their colleagues and other children’s parents.

In Serbia, there are only several professional Roma teachers and the personnel teaching the Roma Language with Elements of National Culture is not of adequate profile and is not educated to conduct a teaching process.

Roma Teaching Assistants (RTA)

The work of Roma (and other) Teaching Assistants is not provided by legal regulations. The Draft Law on Pre-school Education stipulated the possibilities for engagement of Teaching Assistants from the minority community in pre-school groups with large number of children; however, it remains to be seen whether this stipulation will subsist.

The Law on Bases of the Education System stipulates that educational work in institutions is conducted by teacher, professional associate, assistant teacher and other person, Article 6. However, the Article 107, which stipulates the tasks of Teaching Assistants, does not enable the work of the assistants from minority communities in the teaching process.

Roma Teaching Assistants have been introduced within the project implemented by the Fund for an Open Society, see pages 44 and 46.

4.5. School Conditions

Many of schools in Serbia have inadequate working conditions; due to the economic situation there have been no investments in maintenance. The research conducted in 2000/2001 indicated that only some 5 percent of schools was connected to the municipal central heating systems; 39.5 percent of premises were in good condition; 55 percent have no specialized classrooms; 40 percent have no teaching accessories; 40% have inadequate accommodation; only 20 percent have functional kitchens; whereas in 65.5 percent of premises the space-per-student ratio is lesser than the guaranteed minimum.38 Maintenance and furnishing of premises are the competence of local administrations, but many of them lack appropriate funds. Bearing in mind their location, the schools attended by Roma children (poor municipalities, suburban settlements, rural communities) most often have extremely poor working conditions.

Over the last few years, funds have been invested in reparations of damages caused by NATO bombing and furnishing of schools, which were mostly provided from donations and

38 Comprehensive Analysis of Primary Education in FRY


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local administrations’ investments. The situation in schools is presently better than in the research period, however, it is necessary to prepare new detailed survey of school premises, furnishing and working conditions.

II. Legislation and Strategic Documents

1. Relevant Federal and Republican Legislation Constitutional Charter of the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro, which regulates relations between the two member countries, was adopted in 2002 by the Assemblies of both Republic and the Federal Assembly.

The member states shall regulate, ensure and protect human and minority rights and civil freedoms in their respective territory. Serbia and Montenegro shall monitor the exercise of human and minority rights and civil freedoms and ensure their protection in the case when such protection has not been provided in the member states. Article 9.

Charter on Human and Minority Rights and Civil Freedoms , a constituent part of the Constitutional Charter, was adopted in 2003 by the Assemblies of both Republic and the Federal Assembly.

It is permitted to implement special measures required for fulfillment of equality, necessary protection and progress for persons or groups of persons in unequal position, in order to provide them with full benefit of human and minority rights under equal conditions,Article 3.

Collective rights imply that members of national minorities, directly or through their elected representatives, participate in decision making process or decide on particular issues related to their culture, education and information, use of language and alphabet, in compliance with the Law, Article 47.

Members of national minorities are entitled to: expressing, cherishing, nourishing, development and public demonstration of national and ethnic, cultural and religious affiliation; to education in their mother tongue in state institutions, Article 52.

Constitution of the Republic of Serbia adopted in 1990. Preparation of the new Constitution is currently in progress.

The Republic of Serbia is a democratic State of all citizens living within it, founded upon the freedoms and rights of man and citizen, the rule of law, and social justice. Article 1.

Guaranteed and recognized by the Constitution are the individual, political, national, economic, social, cultural, and other rights of man and citizen. Article 3.

Citizens are equal in their rights and duties and have equal protection before the State and other authorities, irrespective of their race, sex, birth, language, nationality, religion, political or other belief, level of education, social origin, property status, or any other personal attribute. Article 13.

Law on Protection of Rights and Freedoms of National Minorities, adopted by the Federal Assembly of FRY in 2002.

The Law legally regulates the manner of fulfillment of rights of the national minorities members and represents yet another source of constitutional law in the FR of Yugoslavia.


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The Roma are given the status of national minority and are notably mentioned: The Law also provides for implementation of special measures for accomplishment of equality, particularly in case of Roma children, Introduction.

This Law also regulates protection of national minorities from any form of discrimination in fulfillment of rights and freedoms and establishes the instruments that ensure and protect particular rights of national minorities to self-government in the fields of education, use of language, information and culture, and establishes the institutions aimed to facilitate participation of minorities in the government and in the management of public affairs; Article 1.

The Law defines that the Federal Government establishes the Federal Council for National Minorities, whose members are representatives of national councils of national minorities. These councils are founded with purpose of preservation, improvement and protection of the national, ethnic, lingual and cultural individualities of members of national minorities and fulfillment of rights, Article 18.

Federal Fund shall be established for encouragement of social, economic, cultural and general development of national minorities, Article 20. The Fund shall participate in budgetary financing of activities and projects related to improvement of position and development of cultural creativity of national minorities, Article 20.

2. Relevant Strategies, Bearers and Implemented Measures

Following the political changes of the year 2000, intensive reconstruction has commenced in Serbia of all state sectors, as well as their adjustments and legal regulation. A whole series of strategic documents and draft laws had been prepared and some of them were adopted. However, the political changes that took place in 2004 have slowed down the activities in adoption of strategies and laws and, consequently, their implementation. Memorandum on Budget and Economic Policy for 2005 with Projections for 2006 and 2007 of the Ministry of Finance, rendered to enable insight in long-term macroeconomic perspectives and integrations of economic policies, encompasses the envisaged structural changes in all sectors, including the healthcare and social insurance, education and realization of the Poverty Reduction Strategy.

2.1. Strategies

National Plan for Children (NPA), prepared in 2002 by the Council for Child Rights of the Government of Serbia, adopted by the Government in 2004.

The NPA is a strategic Government document defining the country’s general policy for children in the period until the year 2015. It is made in accordance with the obligations deriving from the United Nations documents such as Millennium Development Goals of the UN and World Made for Children. It is based upon four basic principles of the UN Convention on Child Rights, nondiscrimination, child’s best interest, right to life, survival, development and children participation. The document identifies basic problems in fulfillment, protection and improvement of child rights in the country, while it also represents a mechanism enabling monitoring of status of child rights as well as well-being of children during the period of economic, social and political transition in Serbia. That is the plan of priority measures, activities and programs that have to be implemented in next


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years in order to create as favorable as possible conditions for children life, their growing and inclusion in the society. The NPA should enable comprehensiveness and coherence of the country’s policy for children, i.e. compliance of actions and measures in different areas and in different public services dealing with children.

NPA should eliminate any form of discrimination of children and should be the action plan for all children, particularly for those parts of children population which are vulnerable (such as children with special needs and children from socially marginalized groups).

Through NPA, the Government of Serbia is taking measures in order to ensure to all children without exception equality, accessibility, quality and efficiency of all public services for children (in the fields of healthcare, education, social care, culture, legal and judicial protection).

Defined priorities are: Reduction of Child Poverty; Quality education for All Children; Better Health for All Children; Improvement of Position and Rights of the Children with Special Needs; Protection of Rights of the Children Without Parental Care; Child Protection from Harassment, Negligence, Abuse and Violence, and Strengthening the Country’s Capacities for Resolution of the Child Problems.

Draft Strategy for Integration and Empowerment of Roma (related to Serbia only). Federal Ministry for Minority and Ethnic Communities of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (presently the Ministry for Human and Minority Rights of SaM).

The Draft was completed in 2002 and adopted by the National Council of the Roma National Minority. It has not been adopted yet as negotiations are under way on which body is authorized to adopt it, as it was drafted by a federal ministry but pertains only to the Republic of Serbia. It is expected to be verified by the Government of Serbia.

The Draft was made by a team of experts in which the Roma representatives took active participation, as well as in the work of expert groups in different fields (70 experts). The OSCE, OCHA and UNHCR provided the funds, whereas the OHCHR provided the professional assistance.

Consultations were held with competent federal and republican ministries, the Government and the Commissariat for Refugees of the Republic of Serbia, international organizations, local NGOs and representatives of civic society.

The Draft comprises proposal for administrative and legislative reforms and role of relevant institutions. It encompasses all significant sectors, whereas the set priorities are: Housing, Economic strengthening, Education and Improvement of living conditions of Roma internally displaced persons.

Specified issues significant for education are: Coordination of work of respective ministries, Preparation of Database; Development of Cultural Tolerance; Child-focused Education; Parental Role; Recommendations for different sectors of reform with proposal of measures and activities. The emphasized priorities are: (bilingual) pre-school and primary education; Creation of the elite of g highly educated Roma and legal solutions for children not encompassed by regular education (7 – 15 years).


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A strategy is a document giving general guidelines. Action plans for the implementation of aims in specific fields are drafted on the basis of the strategy. (For a detailed description of the Action Plan, see 3. in this Chapter).

Draft Strategy for Improvement of Education of Roma in the Republic of Serbia, the Ministry of Education and Sport of the Republic of Serbia (MoE); the document was completed in 2003 and waits for the approval. No decision has yet been taken on whether this is the strategy of MoE or part of the Strategy for Integration and Empowerment of Roma; once a decision is taken on this issue, it will be clear which body must adopt it. If it is a separate MoE strategy, it must be approved by the National Education Council, which has not been established yet.

This document was prepared by the team formed by the MoE in cooperation with the Ministry for Human and Ethnic Rights, which also comprised representatives of Roma, education experts and representatives of non-governmental sector. Improvement of Roma education is defined as an integral part of education reform. The document is based upon competences of the MoE and recommends the engagement of other relevant institutions.

The problems registered in education of Roma are categorized in 4 categories and the appropriate goals are set accordingly. Tasks and activities are elaborated in detail for each category, as well as bearers of activities, monitoring and evaluation.

Goals and Tasks: 1. Inclusion of Roma in education system and ensuring continuity in schooling: Creation o

systematic conditions for inclusion of Roma in education system; Development of special enrollment policy for Roma children and youth; Preparation of educational institutions for inclusion of Roma in education; Preparation of Roma children for enrollment in school, and Material support To Roma in education.

2. Ensuring quality education: Creation of system requirements for assurance and control of quality of education of Roma students; Ensuring educational programs that fit the needs of Roma children and youth; Ensuring the personnel competent for work with Roma children; Transferring to regular schools of the Roma children who had been wrongly enrolled in special schools, and Developing motivation for education.

3. Developing tolerance and respect for diversities: Developing sensitiveness in professional and broader public for educational needs of Roma; Developing of educational environment based upon tolerance and inter-cultural values; Prevention of segregation and desegregation, and Enforcement of anti-discrimination measures.

4. Nourishing cultural identity: Support to development of cultural identity of children and youth; Forming of experts for Roma Language and Culture and Introduction of elements of Roma culture in programs of work with children.

An Action Plan on Improvement of Roma Education is being drafted pursuant to the Draft Strategy (See detailed description under 3. in this Chapter.)

Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper, adopted by the Government of Serbia in 2003. The Cabinet of the Prime Minister is responsible for its implementation.

A part of the integral strategy for development of Serbia and the Government framework for international support and development cooperation, comprises the plan for fulfillment of Millennium Development Goals of the UN. It represents the plan of activities aimed at


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reducing the key forms of poverty by creating material and other prerequisites and offering opportunities for all to provide existence for themselves and their families.

Reduction of Roma Poverty is the chapter within the Issues of Particular Significance for the Strategy. It describes the status quo, particularly in the fields of Employment, Education, Housing and Health, and provides strategic courses of action, measures and activities. It emphasizes correlation between employment and education as well as the necessity of synchronized acting.

The following measures are listed as most urgent measures in education that should be adjusted to the MoE strategy: Inclusion of children in pre-school institutions; Introduction of compensatory programs in primary schools; Training of teachers for work with Roma children; Preparation of test for children enrollment in the 1st grade; Analysis of causes and consequences of enrollment in and attendance of special schools by a large number of Roma children; Orientation of Roma children of older age who had quit the school to professional development; Providing scholarships for students, particularly those pursuing teaching carriers; Literacy courses for adults and particularly the women, and Providing meals and free transportation for poor children. Local strategies for Improvement of Education of Roma (Nis and Kragujevac)

Initiated within the Fund for an Open Society Project Equal Chances and based upon the Draft Strategy for Improvement of Education of Roma.

Local authorities appointed teams for preparation of Local Strategies, which encompassed the representatives of relevant institutions, Roma and other NGOs, as well as competent individuals. In May 2004, those teams completed both documents and forwarded them to city assemblies for adoption. City Assembly of Kragujevac and City Assembly of Kragujevac have adopted Local Strategy for Development of Roma Education in 2004.

Main aspects of these documents are precise definition of problems of local Roma communities, above all the educational problems as well as the broader ones, and determination of courses for resolution of those problems. Local strategies in Nis and Kragujevac will bring a new quality and value in terms of providing the framework and guidelines for coordinated work of those interested to contribute to resolution of problems encountered by the Roma within the education. Conclusions and recommendations of the bodies that prepared these documents represent a basis acceptable both to governmental and non-governmental sector, a basis for partner work on problems that require strategic and focused work of both parties.

The teams that drafted the strategies were formed by the City Assembly as a standing body, which will monitor the implementation of strategic goals. They will define their role in the upcoming period. To implement the strategic goals, it is necessary to elaborate the plans and projects in detail, as these documents are of a general nature and do not include an action plan and budget estimate. It is also necessary to obtain more precise data on the local Roma population. For a more detailed review of these strategies, see Appendix 7 and 8.

2.2. Institutions and Bodies – Bearers of Implementation


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Ministry for Human and Minority Rights

Pursuant to the Constitutional Charter of Serbia and Montenegro, this is one of the five Ministries of the State Union and the main bearer of the new minority policy.

Within the sphere of international relations, the Ministry accomplished the joining to the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities of the Council of Europe in 2001, and the Facultative Protocol to the International Pact on Civil and Political Rights. Within the Central European Initiative, our country signed the Instrument on Protection of National Minorities. Bilateral talks on contractual protection of national minorities have commenced with the neighboring countries. The Agreement on Protection of National Minorities signed with Romania in 2002 is currently being ratified, and the agreement with Hungary was initialed in 2002.

Concrete activities of this Ministry encompass the Measures for Improvement of Tolerance and Building of Confidence and the Measures for Assistance and Support to Minority Communities and their Members.

The Ministry is the bearer of preparation of the Strategy for Integration and Empowerment of the Roma and the action plans for its implementation. It will participate in the accomplishment of the set goals and the monitoring of their effects.

Secretariat for the Roma National Strategy is a sector of this Ministry, founded with support of the OSCE, CE and UNHCR.

The role of the Secretariat comprise participation in preparation and implementation of the Strategy for Integration and Empowerment of Roma: organization of debates, reporting, promotion, identification of responsibilities of relevant republican ministries, establishment of interministerial body aimed at coordination of implementation activities; engagement of Roma experts in the work of interministerial body; preparation of documents for donors conference; familiarization and cooperation with all relevant actors, including the local authorities.

Interministerial Body: Formed in 2003, it is comprised of representatives of respective ministries of Serbia. Its function encompasses coordination, adjustment, correlation and monitoring of activities performed by different ministries within implementation of strategies and action plans.

National Council of the Roma National Community, elected in the Electoral Assembly held in 2003. The Council has 35 members and its President is also the Advisor to the Minister for Human and Minority Rights.

Councils of national minorities are legal entities, financed from the budget and donations and formed to fulfill the right to self-government in the fields of use of language and alphabet, education, information and culture.39 It participates in preparation of action plans, their implementation and monitoring.

2.3. Affirmative Action Measures

39 Law on Protection of Rights and Freedoms of National Minorities, Article 19


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These measures have been realized in cooperation of the Ministry for Human and Minority Rights (Secretariat for the Roma National Strategy), Ministry of Education and Sport and the National Council of the Roma National Minority.

School year 2003/2004 ä Primary education – 5,886 sets of textbooks were provided for pupils from socially

endangered families (in 117 municipalities in Serbia), with support of the Ministry for Social Affairs and donors. The textbooks must be returned at the end of the school year, in order to be distributed to next generations.

ä The MoE published a tender and financially supported projects of 74 primary schools, aimed at improvement of Roma education (some 2,700 EUR per project/school). On the basis of school reports, the MoE is preparing analysis of accomplishments of these projects.

ä Secondary schools – 39 pupils were enrolled after being extraordinarily designated to one of the first three schools of their choice. Criterion for application of this measure was the passed qualifying exam and the number of points not lesser than 30 in comparison with the number of points required for particular education profile. Scholarships were provided for 42 pupils.

ä Higher schools and Faculties – a total of 45 students were enrolled, whose studies will be financed from the budget. The criteria for application of the measure comprised that the candidate applied for enrollment in particular higher school/faculty, took the qualifying exam, “crossed” the knowledge threshold and gained certain position on the ranking list.

School year 2004/2005

ä Secondary schools – out of 263 registered children, 154 have been enrolled on the basis of student performance (95 in school of their first three choices and the rest in some of the schools from their list of 15 selected schools). For the other 103 children which have not been enrolled, the Secretariat is negotiating with the MoE, but there is a problem that only 44 of them do have required code/documents and the Ministry is planning enrollment of 40 children in total. Conditions for enrollment within the scope of affirmative actions require that the child has passed the enrollment/qualifying exam with up to 30 points less than the average number of points for that particular occupation, and that only 1 child is enrolled per school.

ä Higher Schools and Faculties – activities are in progress for enrollment of 63 students whose studies will be extraordinarily financed from the budget, in cooperation with higher schools and faculties.

In cooperation with the Secretariat for the Roma National Strategy and the National Council of the Roma National Minority, the MoE must adopt a document which will define Affirmative Action Measures: number of pupils, enrollment procedure, provision of funds, et al. Much remains vague and the process of negotiating with the MoE is a long and complicated one.

3. Action Plans


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The Ministry for Human and Minority Rights (with support of the Fund for an Open Society) initiated preparation of action plans for accomplishment of strategies for improvement of Roma position in cooperation with the competent ministries. Working group comprises representatives of the Ministry, National Council of Roma National Minority, Delegation of Young Roma Leaders, and experts from relevant institutions; a total of 10 working groups were formed for different areas. Plans are being made for various forms of communication with general public, whereas the target groups will be general and expert public and the Roma community.

Action plans have been made for the four priority areas: Housing (pre-draft); Employment (annual budget of 1,378,600.00 Euros and for the Decade 11,609,600 Euros); Health (budget for the Decade 4,370,000.00 Euros); Education (Basic Draft Action Plan for Education, budget for the Decade 30,813,616 Euros). They were presented at the 3rd Session of the International Steering Committee held in June 2004 Budapest. The plans for other fields are in preparation and will be completed by the end of August. In September, all action plans should be considered by respective Ministries, National Council of the Roma National Community, Delegation of Young Roma Leaders and the Roma Civic Forum (currently being established). Final draft that will integrate comments received from these bodies will be forwarded for consideration and adoption to the Government of Serbia.

Action Plan for Education

Basic Draft Action Plan for Education (presented in Budapest) is based upon estimated numbers of Roma in particular age groups, obtained by combination of the accepted number of 450,000 Roma and the age structure obtained from the 2002 Census (up to 6 years – 72,000; 6 to 7 years – 18,000, 7 to 15 years – 90,000). The following organizations and entities have been planned as bearers of the activities: Ministry of Education and Sport, Ministry for Human and Minority Rights, Ministry for Labor, Employment and Social Policy, Ministry of Culture, University, educational institutions, National Educational Council, Institute for Eva luation of Education Quality; Center for Professional Development, Center for Professional and Art Education, National Council of the Roma National Minority, centers for social work, National Employment Service, municipalities, media, local communities, parents associations, cultural institutions, Republican Statistical Institute and NGOs. It comprises target groups, activities, bearers of activities, duration, monitoring and indicators of successfulness for each of the four goals set by the Strategy for Improvement of Roma Education. It comprises only preliminary budget estimation. Department for Development Programs, Research and Democratization of Education coordinates preparation of Action plan in cooperation with the OSCE Mission in Serbia and Montenegro. Based upon Basic Draft Action Plan for Education, respective departments and centers prepared the Draft Action Plans within their competences: pre-school, primary school, secondary school; education of adults; training of teachers and RTA; curricula and textbooks.

The project Establishing of criteria and preparation of instruments for assessment of readiness of Roma children for enrollment in school, was drafted by the Institute for Psychology of the Faculty of Philosophy of University of Belgrade. It addresses the problem of testing Roma children before enrollment in the 1st grade of primary school. Bureau for Evaluation of Education Quality will prepare the plan for monitoring and evaluation of accomplishment of planned outcomes and activities.


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A five-member team of the Roma Education Action Plan Implementation Monitoring Coordination Board has begun collating all the Draft Action Plans and drafting the final document entitled Action Plan on Roma Education Improvement (to be completed in September 2004). The Board was founded in early September and comprises representatives of the MoE, the Roma National Community National Council, the Ministry of Human and National Minority Rights, the Roma National Strategy Secretariat, NGOs, international organizations/donors and of the Institute for Psychology. The Board has also been charged with the following: drafting a procedure for adopting the Draft Strategy for the Improvement of Roma Education and the Roma Education Improvement Action Plan; lobbying for the draft in competent state institutions; . formulating recommendations to MoE Roma education improvement priorities; selecting good practice examples; drafting criteria for project selection; forming a list of projects for the Donor Conference; assessing project conformance with the Strategy; defining and adopting the indicators of the implementation of the goals and activitie; and, indicator-based monitoring of the implementation of Action Plan on Roma Education Improvement :

Although the final document has not been completed, it can be concluded on the basis of the Draft Action Plans that it was very ambitiously designed, professionally conceived and coordinated by the department that heartily advocates it. The obstacles that may be encountered at the very beginning are related to political willingness for its realization and provision of substantial funds required. The Ministry of Education and Sport is intensively engaged in its preparation, however, it is quite obvious that all departments do not have the same approach to this task, which is rather worrying, or, perhaps only a reflection of personnel and organizational changes within this institution. The plan requires aid, support and constant pressure of both domestic and international organizations upon the MoE for adoption and implementation of the Action Plan for Development of Education of Roma. Beside the already engaged most significant educational institutions, active participants should also be the Center for Strategic Development and Center for Development of Programs and Textbooks (which is being established).

III. Analysis of Programs and Projects

1. Non-Governmental Organizations Engaged In Roma Education Domestic Roma and non-Roma NGOs There are over 2,000 NGOs in Serbia and more than 200 are Roma NGOs. Numerous activities in the field of Roma education are realized by NGO sector in cooperation and with financial support of international and domestic foundations and organizations. However, very few NGOs are systematically engaged in these activities (as: Roma NGO: Rroma Information Center, Kragujevac; Rroma Education Center, Niš; Rroma Children Center, Belgrade; Rroma Community Center “8. april”, Belgrade, Rroma Cultural Center, Subotica; non-Roma NGO: Association For Improvement of Rroma Settlements, Belgrade and CIP – Center For Interactive Pedagogy, Belgrade). Most often NGO are engaged in short-term actions. For purpose of preparation of this report, the Questionnaire was sent to 82 NGOs. Replies have been received, following a number of interventions, from 14 organizations, included the most significant. The following analysis is based upon the data provided, as well as upon the author’s experience in this field.


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Few of them have employees; among active members they have professionals in education and other trades as well as students; most of them include volunteers in their activities. In general, they are active on local rather than republican level. Many of them are members of some, mainly domestic, network or association. They often have problems caused by insufficient material and human resources. They mainly act through projects financed by international and domestic organizations. Sometimes they get engaged in activities that extend beyond their capacities in order to ensure financing of the organization (they are often paid just by the activities), but also due to the need for overall acting in resolution of complex problem of Roma education.

For many Roma NGOs, education is just one line of engagement and it often comes down to short-term actions and humanitarian aid. A small number have grown into significant organizations, developed programs, strengthened capacities and have the network of activists not only comprised of Roma. They have an extraordinary significance in Roma emancipation process and participate in preparation of strategic documents on federal, republican and local level in cooperation with the competent state and local institutions. Only a few professional non-Roma organizations are systematically engaged in this field both at the level of practical program implementation and at strategic level. Others have training programs that may be implemented in development of Roma education although they are not intended specifically for that purpose.

As their strongest points, the NGOs specify: Human resources – personnel expertise, education and experience (seminars, workshops and field work), network of associates; Teamwork, openness, transparency, tolerance and good relations with Roma – consumers; Cooperation and partnership with NGOs (Roma and non-Roma) and institutions; Motivation of parents for education of children: Experience in projects and practical program implementation; Expert resources – programs etc.; Membership in domestic and international organizations and Technical equipment.

For capacity building, NGOs require: Financial Support, material resources, premises, vehicle; Education: lobbying and representation, professional development for work with target groups, management, planning and computer skills; Greater support of local self-government and centers for social work; More information on present state of education system and Engagement in their work of expert personnel in the field of education.

Donor organizations The organizations that are the most important for this field are the Fund for an Open Society (as donor and bearer of projects) and UNICEF (Appendix 2 and 3).

Other donor organizations (based upon data from the Questionnaires for NGOs): SCF; CRS; Royal Netherlands Embassy; SPOLU; MRG London; The European Commission; Freedom House, USA; World Bank; NOVIB; Norwegian Embassy; Forum Syd – SIDA/ Enighet; THW Agency for Technical Aid, Germany; SDC; CARITAS; IOM; USAID; CAFOD UK; Irish Catholic Agency for World Development/TROCAIRE; ECHO; Development Cooperation Ireland (DCI); Department for International Development (DFID UK); Norwegian People’s Aid – NPA; CRS, SDR; Friedrich Ebert Stiftung; Embassy of Finland; ROMA e. V. – Cologne; OSI NY; Concern, Ireland; Pestalozzi Children's Foundation, Switzerland; King Boduen Fund; Charles Stuart Mott Foundation; UMCOR; EAR; BCIF; Oxfam Belgrade; Oxfam EEWNP (East-East Women’s Network Project) UK; Freedom


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House; European Union; British Embassy; Embassy of Switzerland; The Global Fund for Women; OSI Budapest; Mama Cash, Netherlands; CIDA; ACDI-VOCA, Caritas Vienna; DAI, USA; ADF.

Programs - Education of Roma donnors

Preschool children OSI; FOS; Concern; SCF; Ch. S. Mott Foundation; King Boduin Fund; UNICEF

Primary school children SCF; BCIF; Oxfam; Novib; CAFOD; DFID; TROCAIRE; ECHO; FOS; OSI

Secondary school children Pestalozzi Children's Foundation, FOS; OSI Children/youth out of the ed. system

ICS; UNHCR; SCF; NPA; FOS

Students FOS Adult CAFOD; DCI; DFID; TROCAIRE; ECHO; FOS

Projects encompassing programs and activities for more than one

age group

Royal Netherlands Embassy; ICS; UNHCR; NPA; CRS; ECHO; SDR; Friedrich Ebert Stiftung; FOS; UNICEF; ROMA e. V. - Keln, SCF; Novib; ICS; SDC; German Federal Agency for Technical Relief; Forum Syd; IOM; CARITAS; Embassy of Finland; OSI

Other Programs Programs of training teachers to work with

Roma children and families FOS; OSI; UNICEF; ICS

Training medical staff to work with Roma Caritas Strengthening and Promotion of Roma NGO

Activists Freedom House; OXFAM; Catholic Relief Services; EU Commision; CARE International; Caritas

Tables above are based on Questionnaires from NGOs.

2. Programs/Projects for Roma Education

2.1. Analysis of Programs/Projects

Significance of these programs/projects is extraordinary since they have affected Developing of interests and greater motivation for education within the Roma and broader community; Strengthening of Roma NGOs and forming of educated Roma personnel; Engagement of significant number of children, youth and adult Roma participants; experts of different profiles developed sensitivity and gained experience by working with Roma, Various programs, strategies and forms of work were tested; Success of these programs clearly documented that, with adequate and timely professional and material aid, the Roma can get educated just as successful as any other people.


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In the Catalogue of Accredited Training Programs of the MoE, in part Education for Democracy, under Improvement of Roma Education there are 5 programs and 2 projects and all of them are presented in this report.

Appendix 3 contains description of programs/projects made on the basis of Questionnaires for organizations. Their analysis indicates the following: They are diversified in terms of scope, thoroughness, duration and target groups; Most of them are of local character; lesser number is being implemented in several cities in Serbia; They are mainly accomplished through projects financed by one or more donors; They mainly include larger number of activities for different target groups; Most often they are realized in cooperation with Roma and other NGOs, local self-governments, educational institutions and the Ministry of Education and Sport; The activities are generally conducted by school personnel and professionals in other trades, as NGO activists or associates; Activities are conducted in educational institutions, Roma NGOs and settlements; Some are intended for Roma only, while some encompass other populations as well; Adults are included in a great number of activities as parents, Roma working with children/youth and teaching personnel; Many of them are intended for pre-school children, but the age bellow 3 is hardly encompassed. Children of the school age and children not encompassed by education system have been encompassed to a substantial extent, however, children of secondary school age have been insufficiently encompassed. There are very few activities for students; Programs for children, youth and adults are most often a preparation for enrollment in primary and secondary school and learning assistance for children aimed at improvement of student performance. Activities are realized through curricula (state and specific), psychological, creative and educational workshops, professional development courses, literacy courses and other forms of work. Some are also aimed at development of tolerance and elimination of prejudices within Roma and general population, while rather few deal with nourishment of Roma identity through learning of Roma language, tradition and culture; Some programs/projects include evaluation, internal rather than external.

2.2. Inclusion of Roma Children and Youth into the Education System

Almost all programs/projects for children and youth are aimed at their respective integration into the education system and are realized in different manners and through various activities. All Roma NGOs tend to cooperate with institutions. They accomplish such cooperation with more or less success, depending on their capacities and persistence and the openness of the institutions.

It is of particular significance that the teachers, psychologists and pedagogues in schools and kindergartens are the activists of Roma NGOs and executors of their activities. Some of them become engaged either during or after realization of the NGOs’ program in schools, whereas some of them are even the authors of programs conducted in cooperation with NGOs. Professional personnel ensure the quality of program, learn about Roma culture and way of life and gain new experiences in contacts with educated Roma (formally and informally). Roma from NGOs provide the schools and teachers with the assistance in project writing since the teaching personnel, unlike the NGO sector, have not been trained accordingly. The knowledge acquired through training for programs, which improve the teaching process, Roma transfer to the educational personnel. All of this is significant for diminishing of prejudices towards the Roma and establishing of partnership. Roma are


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being perceived through capacities, knowledge and experiences gained. These professional personnel shall be a significant resource in future activities in the field of Roma education.

Through programs and projects, Roma develop various strategies for approaching the schools and gain experiences the manner of functioning of the education system. Through the exchange they can get better insight in schools’ and teachers’ perception of the Roma education problem, their main difficulties and type of assistance required within the work with Roma children and cooperation with their families.

Thanks to these programs, a significant number of Roma children and youth have been integrated into the regular schooling: Programs for children preparation for school have increased the number of children enrolled in regular schools and decreased, or in some environments, even completely diminished incorrect categorization to special schools. They have indicated the necessity of preparation and encouraged the interest of Roma community for these activities; Programs for additional tuition and other forms of assistance to children/youth in learning led to more regular attendance of classes and improvement of student performance; Preparation of children and other forms of assistance in enrollment in secondary schools have increased the number of Roma pupils in secondary schools; Programs for children/youth not encompassed by the education system enabled them to complete commenced schooling, obtain some professional qualifications or continue further education; Programs for adults, particularly for parents, encourage the integration process.

2.3. Major Roma Education Programs and Projects Implemented to Date

ä Project Equal Chances – Integration of Roma Children in Education System, Fund for an Open Society

REI is a unique project on the national level. No other project has combined work on key elements of sustainable process of integration of Rroma, as REI has had. These elements are: Integration of community based Rroma preschools and persistent promotion of the urgent need to provide preschool education for all (particularly) Rroma children; Proving the successfulness of (SbS) child centered methodology in environments with minority issues; Setting standards of RTAs’ work, both in regard of the practical experiences in the project implementation and of advocacy and theoretical support for the idea’s implementation on national level; Giving birth to policy documents on national and local level; Proving that representatives of Rroma communities (Rroma NGOs) could work in a systematic manner with the educational institutions and its staff towards better conditions for Rroma children. Although the model hasn’t been completed yet, combination of preschool preparations, SbS methodology, RTAs’ work and additional classes provides children on REI sites with environment more supportive for all.

It is realized within the project Roma Education Initiative with support of the Education Support Program. Both programs are a part of the Open Society Institute, Budapest. Duration: school year 2002/03 – 2004/05. This is the first program that initiated institutional resolution of the Roma education issues. It is realized in cooperation with: the MoE and its local departments, Ministry for Human and Minority Rights and local self-governments. It is implemented by CIP, REC, RIC, Society for Improvement of Education (DUO), Belgrade and Association of Roma Students, Novi Sad. It is implemented on local level in Nis and Kragujevac.

Goals:


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• Creation of national educational framework and model integration of Roma children of the age 5-18 years into the education system. Accomplished: Draft Strategy for Improvement of Education of Roma and Local strategies in both cities. • Improvement of quality of teaching process in institutions. Accomplished: Pre-school – integration of groups that do not work by the program SbS – KGFC and program implementation in preparatory groups in primary schools in Nis, which have been furnished; Primary – Scholl SbS Program has been implemented in two schools in each of the two cities, in which the teachers work together with Roma Teaching Assistants, furnishing of classrooms, learning assistance for children is conducted by teachers and assistants in all 4 schools; Secondary – programs for professional development of youth in one professional school in each of the two cities, training of school personnel and assistants is conducted at all levels, the program Through Reading and Writing to Critical Thinking is being implemented. • Education of Roma teaching personnel and strengthening of Roma NGOs: Seminar for Roma students, which developed research-works with the assistance of mentors – Faculty professors. In result, 11 research works were published in the Collection of Student Research Works.

Activities of Main Implementing Partners: CIP is responsible for realization and supervision of pedagogical programs conducted within the project in primary and secondary schools (pre-school and primary school Step by Step Program and Through Reading and Writing to Critical Thinking). CIP is also engaged in integration of pre-school groups from Roma settlements into the institutions of education system, the process that is successfully conducted in 2 primary schools in Nis. CIP also participates in preparation and implementation of the National and Local Strategies for improvement of Roma education. RIC and REC are responsible for a series of activities within the project: selection, training and supervision of the Roma Teaching Assistants, work on preparation of the National and Local Strategies for Improvement of Roma Education, cooperation with primary and secondary schools that will participate in the project, including the educative workshops for teaching personnel. At the same time, direct supplemental and additional work is being conducted with children of primary school and secondary school age. Rroma culture and tradition workshops and seminars have been held by REC and RIC in all participating primary schools, this kind of sensitivization is the first of its kind. DUO is the executor of activities in secondary schools, conducted by the Program Community Schools.

Roma Teaching Assistants (RTA): Within the Project RTA work in 9 classes of the 1st grade, which realize a regular curriculum by methodology of the program Step by Step for Primary School (CIP), in two schools in Nis and Kragujevac each. They are the activists of the Roma Information Center and the Roma Education Center. Some of them completed secondary school, some are students, while some of them have graduated from some faculties. Some of them also participated in the part of the project related to the research work of students. They get educated together with the school personnel for implementation of programs in other seminars. In cooperation with assistants and schools, program of work and description of tasks have been designed. Apart from participating in the teaching process, the assistants were also visiting the families, intensively cooperated with them and provided the pupils with the assistance in learning and completion of their homework. Introduction of assistants in schools was a big step for a rigid school system and teachers who have been used to work


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alone. Relations with schools and teachers were different and a lot of negotiating was needed to establish rules and agree about the work. All partners in project realization actively participated in surmounting of problems, together with the assistants.

During implementation of assistants in teaching process and during their work the insistence was put upon partnership work, mutual respect and cooperation of all participants in teaching process. The MoE supported introduction of assistants within this project. At the beginning, the Ministry accepted to finance their honoraria within the Project Equal Chances, but did not do so. Experiences gained within these projects indicate a substantial significance of the assistants: in accommodation of children; as a link between institution and the family; in assistance provided to children in the classes and during completion of their homework; assistance to teachers and school.

Internal and external evaluations have been made. External evaluation has been made by the Center for Evaluation. Material used for evaluation: questionnaires, conversations, meetings and monitoring; data processing is in progress. Some Results: Performance of Roma children in SbS classes exceeds that of Roma children in other classes and the national Roma average; Parents, both Roma and non-Roma, have very positively assessed cooperation with RTAs; Roma teaching assistants feel accepted by the teachers and positively assess cooperation with them.

Project Equal Chances envisages intervention at all education levels, trying to initiate and support positive steps in Roma education. As such, it has been recognized by the Swiss organization Pestalozzi Children's Foundation, which initiated negotiations with the project participants aimed at expansion and development of activities for Roma children of the age of 13-18, i.e. those from 2 final grades of primary school and the whole secondary school. Those negotiations resulted in a proposal of a three-year project, which should be conducted in Nis and Kragujevac, by the Fund for an Open Society and strategic partners CIP, REC and EIC. Along with lot of specifics, general project goals are development of comprehensive model of secondary school education adjusted to the needs of Roma community and contribution to development of inclusive education policies.

Project activities envisage extensive pedagogical and management training set for participating schools, direct educative work with Roma children, forms of economic strengthening, capacity building of Roma NGOs (above all with respect to educational activities), etc. Planned number of direct beneficiaries is more than 400: children (Roma and others), teaching and other school personnel, pupils’ families, local administration and institutions. Activities will be adjusted to the implementation of local strategies

ä Program Step by Step - Kindergarten as Family Center for Roma Children, CIP – Center for Interactive Pedagogy, Belgrade

CIP adapted the Step by Step program (OSI, ISSA) starting from the idea that pre-school programs are necessary prerequisite for education and that they are successful when they include the family, when they fit the needs of children and parents and respect their cultural heritage. The program is in compliance with the official pre-school program, and has been supported and accredited by the MoE. It has been implemented since 1997, financed by the OSI and FOS (Concern Worldwide in 2001/2002). The funds were used for reconstruction of premises, acquisition of furniture and toys, material for work, operating expenses, transportation, hygiene, cooperation with families, meals, honoraria, etc. The monthly cost


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per child was 15-30$ in educational institutions and 85-100$ in Roma settlements/NGOs. Implementation: in cooperation with local Roma NGOs, children resort center, pre-school institutions (4), primary schools (4) and local self-governments. It was presented in many meetings throughout the country and abroad. The three-hour program yearly encompassed 125-700 poor children, in total 3.300 children (80% Roma), including the refugees and internally displaced persons from Kosovo; Annual engagement involved 18-112 associates with permanent honoraria (70% Roma). Goals: testing of different models; educational work with children and preparation for school; improvement of health; cooperation with the family and community; education of teachers and Roma assistants; nourishing Roma language, culture and tradition, bilingual and intercultural education and preparation of educational institutions for education of Roma children. Integration into the regular education system: developed from mainly informal education system into inclusion in formal. Results: development of project groups into the regular groups (3 in the kindergarten in Surdulica, 1 school in Belgrade is engaged in it); integration of program and Roma children in regular groups (4 in 2 schools in Nis, 2 in kindergarten in Subotica, 1 in kindergarten in Backi Monostor). Evaluation: international project Roma Educational Research, IEP, Budapest, 2000. High quality of the program was confirmed and it was recommended for further implementation. In cooperation with schools, enrollment in the first grade and student performance are regularly monitored. Results: About 95 % of Roma children were enrolled each year in regular schools, they were successful in testing and have a good command of the language in which they will be educated; Student performance, regular attendance of classes and behavior in school are also good. These children produced a positive impact on education of other Roma children; Roma community changed the attitude towards education of children, the family was an active partner, they improved parental skills, and became literate. Roma NGOs established cooperation with schools and developed their own resources; Educational practice in institutions was improved, as well as sensitivity for integration, cooperation with Roma community and education of part of the personnel; The interest for integration has grown in local community; Experiences have been included into the national and local strategies for Roma education. Roma Teaching Assistants (RTA) The work of Roma (and other) Teaching Assistants is not provided by legal regulations. The Draft Law on Pre-school Education stipulated the possibilities for engagement of Teaching Assistants from the minority community in pre-school groups with large number of children; however, it remains to be seen whether this stipulation will subsist.

The Law on Bases of the Education System stipulates that educational work in institutions is conducted by teacher, professiona l associate, assistant teacher and other person, Article 6. However, the Article 107, which stipulates the tasks of Teaching Assistants, does not enable the work of the assistants from minority communities in the teaching process. RTA work in all pre-school groups that work by the Program Step by Step Kindergarten as a Family Center for Roma Children, either in Roma settlements or in kindergartens and schools. They are engaged on part time basis and paid through project. Most often they are young activists of both sexes from partner NGOs, they completed secondary school and during this work some of them enrolled in Higher School for teachers or a Faculty. They are


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educated in seminars, in accordance with the defined training program, together with teachers. They work in accordance with the program of work and description of tasks. The assistants in groups in Roma settlements and NGOs were a natural part of the entire program, although there were some initial difficulties with some teachers (all but one were not Roma). When the program was being implemented in newly formed groups in regular institutions, it was easier to accept the assistants since they were the part of the program already accepted by the institutions. However, when it was being implemented in the existing groups, there was more resistance, particularly if the assistants had already been educated for the program and had worked in groups in Roma settlements, since the kindergarten teachers reluctantly accepted the fact that the Roma without official qualifications were more familiar with the program. Experiences gained within this project indicate a substantial significance of the assistants: in accommodation of children; as a link between institution and the family. ä Project: Development Education Centers in Municipalities in the South of Serbia,

Society for Improvement of Roma Settlements (DURN), Belgrade

It has been realized since 2001 in 11 poor municipalities. Cooperation has been established with local Roma NGOs, centers for social care, schools and kindergartens, local administration, MoE and Ministry for Human and Minority Rights. Executors are activist of Roma NGOs, assistant teachers, professional teachers and local coordinators. Financed by: UNICEF, German Federal Agency for Technical Relief, municipalities, SDC, Forum Syd, Sweden, FOS, Jedinstvo-Enighet, Sweden, CARITAS, IOM and others.

Target group: pre-school children of the age of 4-7; school children from 1st to 8th grades and children/youth not encompassed by the education system (age 7-18). Not intended for Roma only. Goals: preparation for enrollment in primary school, improvement of student performance, provisional development, improvement of parental skills, training of employees in educational institutions for work with Roma children/youth, development of tolerance and diminishing of prejudices. Activates: creative, psychological and educative workshops, professional development courses, literacy courses, tuition in languages and compensatory program. Both internal and external evaluations have been made. Effects: a total of 11 development education centers have already been opened (8 in built objects); 800 children have been encompassed in multiethnic groups; Cooperation has been established with local communities; Over 260 employees in education have been trained; the ideas of multiethnic and togetherness have been promoted.

ä Project: Improvement of Living Conditions in Roma Settlement “Deponija” Through Legalization, Education, Economy, Housing, Communal Facilities, Women’s Programs and Strengthening of Local Community, Society for Improvement of Roma Settlements (DURN), Belgrade

Realized in 200/2003 in Roma settlement Deponija in Belgrade, encompassed six programs. Donors: UNICEF, NOVIB and European Commission.

Program for Pre-school Children – Kindergarten: In cooperation with NGO Roma Heart and local municipal administration. Executors were professional teachers and the program was conducted in kindergarten building within the settlement. It encompassed 85 children of the age 4-7 and their parents. Goals: preparation of children for enrollment in school and


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improvement of parental skills. Same work with children was realized as in regular kindergartens and children were taught in Serbian language. Effects: cooperation with parents and encouragement of interests for educational work with children; medical control and vaccination of children in cooperation with the medical center; cooperation with local schools; children had meals, performances and excursions.

Program for Educative Support to School Children: Cooperation was established with primary schools. The work was realized by professional teachers in schools and settlement. Target group: children from 1st to 8th grades and children/youth not encompassed by education system of the age 9-14, to old for primary education and too young for education of adults. Goals: improvement of student performance; improvement of parental skills and program of educative support. Activities: assistance to children in preparation of homework’s and learning. Effects: 71 primary school children encompassed by the program; 59 children enrolled in 1st grade (32 of the age of 7-8 and in regular schools and 27 children o the age of 9-14 in special class of the School for Education of Adults); meals were provided; cooperation realized with parents and schools.

Program: Literacy Courses for Women: Realized in cooperation with the People’s University Braca Stamenkovic, by professional teachers. A total of 40 women of the age of 17-30 took literacy courses.

Program for Employment and Self-employment: The program was conducted in cooperation with the People’s University Braca Stamenkovic, realized by professional teachers. Target group: adults who completed primary school. Goals: professional development of youth/adults, development of tolerance and diminishing of prejudices. Activities: professional development courses. Effects: 21 inhabitant of Deponija settlement (including 8 women) passed the training in professional skills (crafts); all participants were given basic means for work and the initial raw material; by the end of the project, 15 candidates started getting income.

Program for Additional Schooling of Overage Children and Youth: Realized in cooperation with the School for Education of Adults of the People’s University Braca Stamenkovic. Executors: professional teachers and speech therapist conducted it in this school and in the settlement. Target group: children/youth not encompassed by education system, of the age 12-23. Goals: literacy courses and improvement of student performance of children/youth; development of tolerance and diminishing of prejudices; inclusion of overage children into primary education and program of educative support. Effects: 110 participants enrolled in School for Education of Adults successfully competed commenced grades; transportation, meals, school accessories, clothing and footwear were provided.

Program for Women: This program was realized by an attorney, a doctor and two psychologists. Goals: development of tolerance and diminishing of prejudices, enlightenment of Roma women in the field of female identity, health and rights. Program was realized within the settlement in form of educative workshops. Effects: 120 women were encompassed in 6 groups; hygienic monthly packages were provided for all; Roma women and her problems have become obvious in the Deponija; they were given 2 hours per week just for themselves; their trust has grown and they were pleased.


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IV. Proposal of Programs and Activities for the Roma Inclusion Decade

Problem of Roma education is very complex and its resolution requires a series of synchronized activities. In order to ensure positive effects, they require engagement of experts on all levels and in all respective education fields, along with simultaneous engagement in information and sensitization of broader public, which is going to support these processes. A broad spectrum of activities is required, which would encompass all age and other groups within the Roma population.

Priorities in the forthcoming period (on which experts and the Roma community have agreed) include pre-school and primary school education, which are of crucial relevance to changing the hitherto educational and social status of the Roma community. The first step in the education process would provide new generations of Roma more equitable conditions for schooling, working and life in general. Provision of quality pre-school programs to children with the aim of preparing them for starting school is a step that mus t be made in their education. Inclusion of Roma children in regular primary schools is of primary importance and must be accompanied by activities that will enable the children to get quality education, be successful and complete school with enough knowledge to continue their education. Both priorities imply the necessary program, organizational and personnel preparations of institutions for the education of Roma children, as well the development of Roma personnel and the inclusion of RTAs in the kindergarten groups and lower primary school classes with a greater number of Roma children.

Subtlety of the Roma education issue is reflected in complexness of problems as well as in attitude of the public towards the Roma, which is not always positive. Therefore, their inclusion into the education system (as well as the accompanying investments) may cause negative effects both in expert and broader public, as well as among the Roma themselves, if these issues do not have an appropriate professional basis and are not founded upon their needs. In order to avoid such situation, pilot projects and action researches should be developed, whereas the more massive integration should be based upon their experiences and examples of the good practice.

The Roma Education Fund should install mechanisms that will enable improvement of Roma education in Serbia in such respect that it will not depend upon present political distribution of power and the good will and engagement of individuals within the state institutions.

Necessary prerequisites for Roma inclusion and ensuring of quality education ä Adoption of Strategy for Improvement of Roma Education in Serbia (still in a draft form) by the National Council Education Council. The programs that will be supported through this Fund must also be founded in compliance with this Strategy and the Action Plan of the MoE, to contribute to realization of planned goals and activities and support them. ä This strategy is an integral part of the education reform, so, continuation of the reform in accordance with the principles and goals set in the documents of the Ministry of Education and Sport in 2002-2004 is the necessary prerequisite. ä It is necessary to provide legislation for all fields where there is no any, and until the alteration of relevant laws appropriate decrees should be rendered (e.g. for work of Roma assistants).


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ä Databases are the basis for planning of activities and required financial assets. In order to prepare quality and functional databases on pupils and monitoring of their performance, it is necessary that the competent education bodies render a decision that they can be maintained on basis of nationality within the educational institutions (in that case, the databases would be maintained in that manner for all pupils and not only for the Roma). If such decision is not rendered, or, until it has been rendered, it is necessary that the MoE, in cooperation with the Ministry for Human and Minority Rights and the National Council of the Roma National Community, define the manner of preparation and maintenance of database for Roma children. For the time being, the data on Roma pupils are prepared based upon estimations of teachers, which is not a good approach and does not provide complete information. ä The choice of priority fields and programs should be made in cooperation with the National Council of the Roma National Community and the Secretariat for the Roma National Strategy. ä Necessary prerequisite for implementation of the Action Plan for Improvement of Roma Education is a coordinated action of all relevant republican and federal institutions , such as the Ministry of Finance, Ministry for Social Care, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Centers for Social Work, etc. Resolution of soma problem of Roma education is beyond competence of the MoE (personal documents, resolution of problems of repatriated Roma, validation of their diplomas, etc.). ä MoE should provide prerequisites and procedures for involvement of the NGO sector as partner in implementation of the Action Plan. NGOs both have the most extensive experience in this field and the resources (program and human), and should be executors of educational and other activities that will be supporting the inclusion process (information, cooperation with local and Roma community, social, healthcare and other programs). At the same time, the NGO sector should be strengthened since it conducts these activities irrespective of the current political will of the state authorities and, bearing in mind frequent changes in political scene of Serbia, this task is very significant. ä Programs of work with children/youth must be accredited by a competent institution (Center for Professional Development of Employees in Education). ä The programs must comprise a defined system of monitoring, internal and external evaluation. Assessment of the effects should be based upon accomplishment of goals measured by the outcome and not only by number of participants and conducted activities. ä Beside the programs and activities that are being proposed in this paper, it is also necessary to provide funds for aid for Roma children/youth and families, in form of textbooks and accessories, clothing, footwear, meals, transportation, etc.; Scholarships and accommodation in student dormitories for pupils of secondary schools and students; Furnishing of educational institutions in which the Roma pupils will be integrated, by providing furniture, didactic material and accessories.

Programs of Work with Children/Youth

1. Pre-school Education

Previous experience has reflected enormous significance of these programs for successful education of Roma children. It is necessary that all Roma children become encompassed by the programs for preparation for school. Due to importance of early stimulation, the


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children bellow the age of 3 should not be forgotten. Bearing in mind the age of children, cooperation with families and improvement of their parental competences are an inevitable aspect of these activities. Increasing the number of Roma children encompassed by pre-school education: Integration of children into pre-school institutions: In all-day programs of kindergartens (bellow the age of 3 and the age of 3-6); In preparatory groups in kindergartens and primary schools (age 6-7); Integration of the existing informal groups into the education system; Forming of new preparatory groups: In kindergartens; In primary schools; In Roma settlements/NGOs; Traveling kindergarten; Organization of programs for children under age of 3 and their mothers in the settlement. Ensuring quality pre-school education for all children: Implementation of quality, child-focused programs; Adaptation of the official programs to the needs of Roma children and families; Creation of programs for preparation for school, adjusted to the needs of Roma children; Development of programs for children under the age of 3 and their mothers; Development of program for cooperation with Roma families, that fits their needs; Preparation of programs for work and manuals for assistants; Preparation of manuals/instructions for pre-school institutions and teachers. Developing acceptance and respect for diversities for all children: Implementation of the existing quality programs in the work with children (for diminishing of prejudices, development of multi/intercultural values, civic education, etc.). Nourishing the cultural identity of Roma Children: Implementation of the existing quality programs in the work with children. Improvement of parental competences: Development and realization of programs for Roma families in accordance with their respective needs. Introduction of Roma assistants in groups with larger number of Roma children: Introduction, employment of assistants in pre-school institutions; Preparation of program of work of the assistants. Psycho-social programs for all pupils: Implementation of quality programs that encourage development of self- respect, positive opinion of oneself and social competences. Monitoring and evaluation of all programs and activities Bearers of activities: Group for Pre-school Education, MoE; Center for program and schoolbook development; Local administrations of the MoE; Pre-school Institutions; Local Administration; NGOs; Secretariat for the Roma National Strategy; National Council of the Roma National Community; Center for Deve lopment of Programs and Textbooks; Department for Development Programs, Research and Democratization of Education, MoE; Institute for Evaluation of Education Quality.

2. Primary School Education Increasing the number of Roma children in regular schools and successful education: Assistance for children in learning in all grades (additional classes); Preparation for qualifying exams for enrollment in secondary school; Wok with the children (of appropriate age) which have quit the school, aimed at their return to school or extraordinary completion of primary school; Development of programs for girls that would support their education; Programs and aid to children from repatriated families (learning the language, valisation of diplomas); Programs for kids from the streets. Providing quality primary school education for all pupils: Implementation of child-focused programs; Implementation of modern methodology of work; Development of programs for


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cooperation with Roma families, adjusted in accordance with their respective needs; Adding the elements of Roma culture to relevant textbooks; Preparation of programs of work and manuals for assistants; Preparation of manuals/instructions for schools and teaching personnel. New manner of testing of Roma children before enrollment in the 1st grade: Within preparation of the MoE Action Plan, the Institute for Psychology, of the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Belgrade prepared a project Establishment of Criteria and Preparation of Instruments for Assessment of the Roma Children Readiness for Enrollment in School. Developing tolerance and respect for diversities among all pupils : Implementation of the existing quality programs in the work with children. Nourishing of cultural identity of Roma pupils : Implementation of the existing quality programs in the work with children (for diminishing of prejudices, development of multi/intercultural values, civic education, etc.). Introduction of Roma assistants in groups with larger number of Roma children: Introduction, employment of assistants in pre-school institutions; Preparation of program of work for assistants. Improvement of parental competences: Development and realization of programs for Roma families in accordance with their respective needs. Development of strategy for transferring of Roma children wrongly designated to special schools: Retesting of children; Developing programs that will enable them to obtain the knowledge required for transfer to regular school. Psycho-social programs for all pupils: Preparation of quality programs encouraging development of self- respect, positive opinion of oneself and social competences. Monitoring and evaluation of all programs and activities Bearers of activities: Department for Primary Education, MoE; Center for Development of Programs and Textbooks; MoE Local Administrations; Primary Schools; Special Primary Schools; NGOs; Secretariat for the Roma National Strategy; National Council of the Roma National Community; Department for Development Programs, Research and Democratization of Education, MoE; Institute for Evaluation of Education Quality.

3. Secondary School Education (general and professional) Increasing the number of Roma children in regular schools and successful education: Assistance in learning in all grades; Preparation for enrollment in higher schools and faculties; Professional development courses; Work with the youth (of appropriate age) which have quit the school, aimed at their return to school or extraordinary completion of secondary school; Development of programs for girls that would support their education; Programs and aid to children from repatriated families (learning the language, validation of diplomas); Support to education of young parents. Providing quality secondary school education for all students: Implementation of modern methodology of work; Development of programs for cooperation with Roma families, adjusted in accordance with their respective needs; Adding the elements of Roma culture to relevant textbooks; Preparation of manuals/instructions for schools and teaching personnel. Developing tolerance and respect for diversities among all students: Implementation of the existing quality programs in the work with children (for diminishing of prejudices, development of multi/intercultural values, civic education, etc.).


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Psycho-social programs for all students: Preparation of quality programs encouraging development of self- respect, positive opinion of oneself and social competences. Monitoring and evaluation of all programs and activities Bearers of activities: Department for Secondary Education, MoE; Center for Development of Programs and Textbooks; MoE Local Administrations; Secondary Schools; Special Secondary Schools; NGOs; Secretariat for the Roma National Strategy; National Council of the Roma National Community; Center for Professional and Art Education; Department for Development Programs, Research and Democratization of Education, MoE; Institute for Evaluation of Education Quality.

4. High School Education Providing quality high school education: Development and realization of programs (courses) for Roma studies for students of educational occupations (on Roma community, specifics of work with Roma children, Youth and family and examples of good education practice); Adding these information to relevant textbooks; Preparation of manuals/instructions for students and teaching personnel. Founding Cathedra for Rroma Language Monitoring and evaluation of all programs and activities Bearers of activities: Higher schools and University/Faculties; NGOs; Secretariat for the Roma National Strategy; National Council of the Roma National Community; MoE Local Administrations; Department for Development Programs, Research and Democratization of Education, MoE; Institute for Evaluation of Education Quality.

5. Education of Roma Adults The MoE Action Plan envisages development of strategies for education of adults that will be adjusted for education of Roma. Since this is a long-term process, something should be done in the meantime to increase the general level of Roma education, through existing and new programs. Activities: Literacy courses for youth/adults; Professional development courses; Programs for women; Health education; Improvement of parental competences; Monitoring and Evaluation. Bearers of activities: Department for education of adults of the MoE; MoE Local Administrations; Higher Schools and Faculties; NGOs; Secretariat for the Roma National Strategy; National Council of the Roma National Community; Informal institutions for education of adults (people’s and workers’ universities); Department for Development Programs, Research and Democratization of Education, MoE; Institute for Evaluation of Education Quality.

Training Programs Education of teaching personnel and all other significant actors in teaching process (those who plan, organize and evaluate it) should contribute to greater righteousness of education system and its openness to inclusion. It should also improve the quality of teaching process and train the employees in education for work with Roma children, youth and families. So far, the Ministry for Education and Sport has accredited a total of 335 training programs in different fields: Education for Democracy (development of tolerance, communication skills, conflict resolution, etc. – 59); Democratization of Education (improvement of methodology of teaching process – 101) and for special fields and subjects (175). Within the Education


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for Democracy, only a few programs are intended for Roma education, however, most of the others may also be implemented, either in a given form or with some adjustments.

1. Righteousness in Education

1.1. Programs for Sensitization – Preparations for the Roma Integration Process Goal: Increasing the sensitivity for needs, problems and rights of children and families of minority and marginalized groups related to education end encouraging local communities and institutions of the system for concrete actions.

1.2. Programs for Development of Acceptance and Recognition of Diversities Goal: Education in implementation of programs encouraging observance of human rights, surmounting of prejudices, development of tolerance and openness for diversities, development of multi/intercultural and other values of democratic society, etc.

1.3. Psycho-Social Programs Goal: Education in implementation of programs encouraging development of self-respect, positive opinion of oneself and social competences. Target groups (for all three types of programs): Educational institutions (pre-school institutions, primary and secondary schools): management personnel (Principals, Secretaries, Management and School Boards), professional personnel (teachers, psychologists/pedagogues, etc.); MoE, including the regional administrations (representatives and commissioners of respective departments), school supervision (inspection and quality assurance); Professors and students of higher schools and faculties for educational profession; Representatives of local administrations and institutions relevant for Roma education and status; Roma Teaching Assistants (anti-prejudice programs). Activities (for both kinds of program): Analysis of existing and preparation of new programs; Education of Trainers; Realization of Seminars; Preparation of Manuals; Monitoring and Evaluation. Bearers of activities (for both kinds of program): NGOs; Center for Professional Development of Employees; Department for Professional Development of the MoE; Center for Development of Programs and Textbooks; Department for Development Programs, Research and Democratization of Education, MoE; Institute for Evaluation of Education Quality.

2. Improvement of Quality of Teaching Process

2.1. Programs for Training of Teaching Personnel Goals: Improvement of quality of educational practice and education of teaching personnel on specifics of the work with Roma children, youth and their parents. Target groups: Educational institutions – professional personnel in kindergartens, primary and secondary schools; Roma Teaching Assistants who will work in kindergarten and school. Types of programs: Pre-school and school child-focused programs; Modernization of teaching process: interactive methods of work, individualized tuition, etc.; Cooperation with Roma family and local community. Activities: Analysis of the Existing Programs; Education of Trainers; Realization of Seminars; Preparation of Manuals; Monitoring and Evaluation.


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Bearers of activities: Department for Development Programs, Research and Democratization of Education, MoE; NGOs; Center for Professional Development of Employees; Department for Professional Development of the MoE; Center for Development of Programs and Textbooks; Institute for Evaluation of Education Quality.

2.2. Programs for Training of Roma Teaching Assistants

International and NGOs’ experiences should be utilized. Future training of assistants should be conducted in adequate higher schools/faculties according to the officially recognized program and with issuing of appropriate diplomas. In the meantime, the MoE should adopt the training program and appoint executors. Goal: Preparation of assistants before their introduction in educational institutions, which should encompass general psychological and pedagogical knowledge of children development and education, as well as specific knowledge. Target groups: Assistants who will work in kindergartens and primary schools. Activities: Selection of assistants; Preparation of Training Programs, Education of Trainers; Seminars for Assistants; Preparation of Manuals; Description of Assistants’ Tasks; Monitoring and Evaluation. Bearers of activities: NGOs; Center for Professional Development of Employees; Department for Professional Development of the MoE; Secretariat for the Roma National Strategy; National Council of the Roma National Community; Higher School for Education of Teachers; Faculties for Teachers; Department for Development Programs, Research and Democratization of Education, MoE; Institute for Evaluation of Education Quality.

2.3. Programs for Strengthening of Roma NGOs for Implementation of Educational Programs

Goal: Roma NGOs should strengthen their human resources for realization of educational programs and cooperation with educational institutions. Training programs should fit their needs for general and specific knowledge. Activities: Perception of NGOs’ needs; Development of Educational Programs for Members, Activists and Associates; Education in Seminars; Monitoring and Evaluation. Bearers of activities: NGOs, National Center for Professional Development of Employees; Department for Professional Development of the MoE; Secretariat for the Roma National Strategy; National Council of the Roma National Community; Department for Development Programs, Research and Democratization of Education, MoE; Institute for Evaluation of Education Quality. 3. Nourishing the Roma Identity

3.1. Training Programs for Roma Teachers for the Subject: Roma Language with Elements of Culture Goal: To provide future teachers of this subject with psychological, pedagogical and methodological knowledge required for the work with children/youth. Activities: Selection of Teachers; Creation of Training Programs (preparatory and supplemental); Education of trainers from Roma NGOs; Education in Seminars; Preparation of Manuals; Monitoring and Evaluation.


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Bearers of activities: Roma NGOs; Center for Professional Development pof Employees; Department for Professional Development of the MoE; Secretariat for the Roma National Strategy; National Council of the Roma National Community; Center for Development of Programs and Textbooks; Department for Development Programs, Research and Democratization of Education, MoE; Institute for Evaluation of Education Quality.

3.2. Programs for Familiarization with Roma Language, Tradition and Culture Goal: To introduce professional and broader public with the elements of Roma language, culture and tradition, thus enabling better understanding of the Roma community values and way of life. Target group: School personnel; Roma Teaching Assistants; Roma and other parents. Activities: Analysis of the existing and creation of new programs; Preparation of Manuals; Education of trainers from Roma NGOs; Monitoring and Evaluation. Bearers of activities: Roma NGOs; Center for Professional Development of Employees; Department for Professional Development of the MoE; Secretariat for the Roma National Strategy; National Council of the Roma National Community; Center for Development of Programs and Textbooks; Department for Development Programs, Research and Democratization of Education, MoE; Institute for Evaluation of Education Quality.

Preparation of Database It is necessary to create a complete Database on the Roma, which would serve as basis for preparation of real action plans. It should also serve as basis for monitoring of realization and effects of the accomplished programs/projects/activities.

On Roma: Children, youth and adults within the education system (numbers at all education levels and monitoring of student performance); Children, youth and adults not encompassed by the education system – presented by age, and Teaching personnel (employed and unemployed).

On programs/activities: Creation of the Web Site (within the MoE or Secretariat fo Roma) tha would comprise all information and that would be regularly updated. Resources: Roma and other NGOs engaged in Roma education; Training programs (with professional and human resources); Programs for work with children/youth/adults (with professional and human resources) and Manuals, textbooks and litareture for children and adults. Accomplished programs/projects/activities The programs entered into the database should be evaluated and accredited by the MoE Center for Professional Development. The accredited programs are only the training programs for employees in education, and only a few of them are intended for the Roma. It is necessary to continue this process (more than 600 programs had waited to be accredited before the accreditation was stopped) and encourage Roma NGOs to apply with their programs. Accreditation of programs of work with children/youth is planned for the upcoming period and it should be realized by all means. Bearers of activities: Department for Development Programs, Research and Democratization of Education, MoE; Roma NGOs, Center for Professional Development of Employees; Department for Professional Development of the MoE; Secretariat for the Roma National Strategy; National Council of the Roma National Community.


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Researches

There are certain researches on Roma in Serbia that have undisputable significance; the data from some of them have also been used in this Report. However, there are no researches, particularly in the field of Roma education, which cover the entire territory of Serbia and provide solid basis for planning of activities. There are no systematic researches and data on different age groups, their participation in education, needs, problems, adequate measures for improvement of situation and the way the Roma perceive all those aspects. There are no researches at all on particularly vulnerable groups (children/youth not encompassed by education system, children youth from the streets, repatriated Roma, Internally displaced Roma). Moreover, there are no researches indicating which programs in which manner produce an impact upon target groups and are suitable for resolution of their problems (for children bellow three years of age, girls/boys, pre-school children of the age 4-6, older pre-school children of the age 6-7, secondary school children, students and adults).

It is necessary to compile a systematic overview of all existing researches on Roma education, including the encompassed topics and target groups. Such overview would indicate what researches have not been conducted although they are necessary. Researches should be conducted for purpose of planning the activities and their founding upon real situation and Roma educational needs. The researches should be contemplated and managed by experts in education and professional researchers, with active participation of the Roma.


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Literature

Laws

ä Constitutional Charter of the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro, 2002

ä Charter on Human and Minority Rights and Civil Freedoms (SaM), 2002

ä Constitution of the Republic of Serbia, 1990

ä Law on Protection of Rights and Freedoms of National Minorities, 2002

ä Law on Foundations of the Education System, 2003

ä Law on Alterations and Amendments of the Law on the Foundations of the Education System, 2004

ä Law on Social Care for Children, 1992

ä Law on Primary School, 1992

ä Law on Alteration of the Law on Primary School, 1993

ä Law on Secondary School, 1992

ä Law on Alteration of the Law on Secondary School, 1993

Strategies

ä Draft Strategy for Integration end Empowerment of the Roma, 2002, (www.humanrights.gov.yu)

ä Strategy for Reduction of Poverty in Serbia, 2003

ä Draft Strategy for Development of Roma Education in Serbia, 2003

ä National Plan for Children, 2002 (www.arhiva.serbia.sr.gov.yu/news/2004-02/12/333116.html)

Other Documents

ä ERRC & UN OHCHR, (2003). Memorandum: The Protection of Roma Rights in SaM (www.un.org.yu)

ä Federal Ministry for National and Ethnic Communities, (2001). National Minorities in FRY, Belgrade

ä Republican Statistical Institute (2002). Census of Population, Households and Apartments in 2002, Final Census Results, Population by Age and Sex , Belgrade.

ä Republican Statistical Institute (2003). Census of Population, Households and Apartments in 2002, Final Census Results, Population - Religion, Mother Tongue and National or Ethnic Affiliation by Age and Sex, Belgrade.

ä Ministry of Education and Sport of Serbia, (2002). Quality Education for All – Road to Developed Society, Belgrade

ä Ministry of Education and Sport of Serbia, (2004). Quality Education for All, Challenges of Reform in Serbia, Belgrade

ä Ministry of Education and Sport of Serbia, (2003). Catalogue of Programs for Professional Development of Employees in Education for the School year 2003/04, Belgrade


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Researches and Almanacs of Reports from Scientific Meetings

ä Timothy Trevor-Brisko, (2002). Roma from Nisava, Roma Library Komren, Nis

ä B. Jakšic, Ph.D. and G. Bašic, M.Sc. (2002). Roma Settlements, Living Conditions and Possibilities for Integration of Roma in Serbia, Results of Social Research, Center for Research of Ethnicities, Belgrade, (www.humanrights.gov.yu)

ä UNICEF Belgrade, (2001). Comprehensive Analysis of Primary Education in FRY (www.un.org.yu)

ä UNICEF Belgrade, (2004). The Many Faces of Poverty, Research on Child Poverty in Serbia, Belgrade (www.un.org.yu)

ä UNICEF Belgrade (2000). Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey II, The Report for FRY (www.un.org.yu)

ä Oxfam GB, Belgrade Office (2003). Roma Health, Final Report

ä Humanitarian Law Center, (2003). Report Roma in Serbia , Belgrade

ä UNDP, The Situation of Roma in SaM Compared to Roma in Central and Eastern Europe (www.un.org.yu)

ä Roma Information Center, (2003), Report from Regional Conference of Roma NGOs, Kragujevac

ä Konrad Adenauer Foundation, (2002). Almanac of presentations and reports Educational Policy for National Communities, Belgrade

ä Serbian Academy of Science and Arts, (1992). Almanac of reports from the scientific meeting: Development of Roma in Yugoslavia – Problems and Tendencies, Belgrade

ä Kocic Rakocevic Nataša and Miljevic Andelka, (2003). Roma and Education – Between the Needs, Wishes and Possibilities, Belgrade