Forum on Investing in Young Children Globally (iYCG) Reaching and Investing in Children at the Margins Prague November

Session 2: Ethnic and linguistic diversity: the case of young Roma children in Europe Policy Response:

Value of sound research evidence Welcome appreciation of the two exceedingly interesting presentations detailing the circumstances of young Roma children in Romania and the Czech Republic. Thank you. Differences in a national context are to be observed:

Differences in the two national contexts are to be observed: Encouraging developments in Romania In Romania there is a free compulsory pre- primary preschool year (5-6) for all children including Roma; And the National Council for Combating Discrimination is conducting mass training for professional groups, including teachers of young children, in anti-discrimination and inclusive practice.

Differences in the two national contexts are to be observed: Encouraging developments in Czech Republic We currently see a healthy national debate surrounding the introduction of a free one year of preschool with an assessment of the prose and cons of it being compulsory or an entitlement; And legislative initiatives that will facilitate the development of inclusive education.

But the similarities [of risk factors] across these two countries and Europe are stark and distressing! Structural hindrances of access to quality and unsegregated Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) [3-8 years] is mainly rooted in: Extreme poverty; low family educational capital; social exclusion and geographical marginalisation; dangerous and unhealthy living conditions in environments with high stress linked to grossly neglected infrastructure and utilities; and widespread institutional and public racism and discrimination.

The cards are thus stacked… For Roma children across Europe the cards are stacked against a majority of them for ever having equal educational opportunities, wellbeing and happy, healthy and fulfilling lives. It is Europe’s hidden disgrace!

Policy responses that help!(1) Ratified and transposed international Conventions on human rights, the rights of minorities and anti-discrimination; For the legal and practical implications of such laws to be transposed and implemented within the professions responsible for delivering public services, including ECEC and school provision.

Policy responses that help!(2) For such legal prescriptions, including inclusive education, to feature prominently in all initial and in-service training of all the staff that work in crèches, kindergartens and schools; For such legal prescriptions, including inclusive education, to feature prominently in the inspection and assessment of all educational institutions.

Policy responses that help!(3) To place a duty on kindergartens and schools to establish ‘out-reach’ routines to isolated and or ‘hard-to-reach’ families living at the margins of society; For ministries of education and local authorities to implement realistic inclusive education policies through the identification of all hindering factors to access, regular attendance and satisfactory levels of attainment and for these to be removed and or circumvented for families experiencing such hindrances as a result of their socio-economic circumstances.

Policy responses that help!(4) For ministries of education and local authorities to ensure that effective and unequivocal legal frameworks are in place that render any form of pupil segregation or exclusion from mainstream educational institutions to be illegal; For kindergartens and schools to welcome all pupils and their families equally and for the diversity of ethnicity, culture, language, religion and history to be reflected in a curriculum for all children and that is affirmative to all children.

Policy responses that help!(5) The risk factors are so enormous and the ‘protective factors’ are so weak in comparison, that comprehensive policies are required from governments for Roma families AND which should target and provide: Poverty reduction; (welfare benefits/employment/training/education) Free provision, transport, meals, books, clothes etc. Out-reach and institutional provision/support for the 0-3 year old cohort of children and their parents/carers; Provision of safe environments, good housing with safe water and safe and hygienic kitchen and sanitary facilities; And robust legal sanctions against anti-Gypsy hate speech and actions by the public, public figures and the media.

Why such comprehensive actions are needed to be part of ensuring equal educational opportunities? The need for governments to seriously undo the centuries of official human rights abuses of these communities; Because Roma continue to suffer ubiquitously extreme race hatred across Europe; And that the continuing inaction by governments, the European Union and the Council of Europe start to begin to come close to the determining criteria of crimes against humanity.

Thank you for listening