SUPPORT TO DEVELOPMENT OF ANTI-DISCRIMINATORY SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT FOR ROMA NATIONAL MINORITY CHILDREN Minority Rights Center, Belgrade, Serbia.

SUPPORT TO DEVELOPMENT OF ANTI-DISCRIMINATORY SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT FOR ROMA NATIONAL MINORITY CHILDREN

Minority Rights Center, Belgrade, Serbia

Main Goal

Support to development of anti-discriminatory school environment for Roma national minority children

Additional Goals Contributing to the strengthening of primary school

capacities so they could develop and maintain anti-discriminatory environment

To increase potential of Roma parents so they could actively participate in primary education of their children

Enabling higher degree of education system inclusion, a continuity in education and non-discrimination of Roma children

Strengthening of the role of civil society organizations in lobbying for enforcement of measures for protection against discrimination contained in Government’s strategic documents on Roma education

Our activities conducted in cooperation with Roma parents

1. Informing of parents regarding enrolment procedures

2. Providing assistance during enrolment process

3. Education of parents on prejudice, stereotypes, discrimination in terms of development of prejudice and social distance, forms of discrimination in education, convention on the rights of the child, communication, participation of parents in school teams for drafting of School development plans with an accent on acknowledging the needs of Roma community

4. Support in solving of discrimination cases

5. Support to parents and schools regarding improvement of mutual communication

Informing of parents on enrolment procedures

Campaigns in Roma settlements Individual family visits Informing on: - enrolment deadlines - necessary enrolment documents - inclusive enrolment policy and

particular novelties introduced by this policy - expenses for textbooks, transport,

snacks

Rendering of assistance during the enrolment process Assistance with collecting of documents Assistance with medical exams Connecting of parents with different

services – municipal coordinators for Roma issues, Roma health mediators, teaching assistants, representatives of centers for social work

Education of parents

Realization of workshops is planned within the program for 375 Roma parents from 25 primary schools in four regions

Topics: - basic characteristics of education system in

Serbia - the right to equal education and

(non)discrimination - mechanisms for protection of rights to education

(whom to talk to, when, disciplinary fines, etc.) - responsibility of parents - responsibilities of children-pupils - participation of parents in school bodies (work in

School Boards and Parent Councils)

Important topics for parents

Quality of education and how to react if parents think that children are not actively involved in classes

Importance of regularity of attendance and the role of parents in monitoring such regularity

Educational success of children and the role of parents in children motivation increase during education

The right of parents to quality and timely information on their rights and obligations; i.e. protection against discrimination, knowledge evaluation objections, etc.

How can parents participate in the work of school bodies

Support in solving of discrimination cases

Informing of parents on how to recognize education discrimination

Encouraging of parents to report cases of discrimination (to competent authorities in school, education inspection, Ministry of Education)

Assistance in compiling complaints Support in the process of solving

complaints

Support to parents and school in improvement of mutual communication

During the field work Roma parents were distributed a Manual Guide for parents – providing of support to development of anti-discriminatory culture in education and solving of discrimination cases

We have noticed that parents were very motivated to learn who can report discrimination cases, what happens if the school principal fails to react, whether measures ordered by the inspection must be applied in cases when teachers offend children, when children are not included in additional school work, when other children offend them, etc.; they requested these topics to be opened at parental meetings with all parents

Particular actions aimed at improvement of mutual communication Program assistants proposed schools for all

parents to become involved in these meetings, i.e. for this to be the topic of one regular parental meeting; some schools accepted this proposal and held such parental meetings, some have opened discussions, while some only presented a manual.

Thanks to the understanding of Ministry of Education all schools have received a memo ordering performing of this activity and we expect a positive effect after the presentation

Field Problems

Parents do not regularly attend joint meetings in a community; mothers are almost exclusive attendants

Fathers rarely involved in the process of education of their children

Parents lack trust in institutions and seldom decide to report discrimination cases

Parents often justify absence of their children from school with poverty; i.e. older children look after younger children, when they turn 10 children start working with their parents, whole families migrate for seasonal jobs

Our principles of cooperation in community work

Clearly state what we can and cannot do Not doing FOR parents, but WITH parents Not promising the impossible Acknowledging cultural differences of each

family Non-judging Non-duplicating – maintaining coordination

with existing services and local bodies for achieving greater efficiency