PS against Planned Ethnic-Roma School

Bratislava, July 17 (TASR) - Progressive Slovakia MP Ingrid Kosova has criticised the planned establishment of a pilot ethnic-Roma school in the village of Rakusy in Presov district, recommending that Education Minister Tomas Drucker should look for solutions that will result in desegregation. "Despite the fact that the minister declares that this is not a desegregation measure at all, the memorandum says exactly the opposite. From our point of view, this whole initiative is more of an effort to legitimise segregation," remarked Kosova, adding that she sees the creation of an ethnic-Roma school as a means to avoid being fined by the European Union for violating the Race Directive. "Changing this segregated school into an ethnic school, which according to the memorandum will be in line with the principles of desegregation, will also allow the municipality to build the school in close proximity to a [Roma] settlement," she noted. The creation of the school, she said, won't stand up legally or with the European Commission. According to Kosova, the establishment of an ethnic school must meet several conditions. Among other things, it must be based on the wishes of parents and the minority. Parents must also be given a choice of school. She pointed out that the quality of education in segregated schools is incomparably lower than in integrated schools. The planned pilot ethnic-Roma school in the village of Rakusy is the result of cooperation between the Education Ministry, the municipality of Rakusy, the University of Presov and the Association of Schools Teaching the Roma Language. The ministry signed a memorandum with the aforementioned stakeholders. zel/df