Reflections and Coordination – Roundtable on Roma Education in Prishtina, Kosovo*

Budapest, 13 May 2013

The Agency Responsible for Education in Kosovo together with the Roma Education Fund with the support of the Swiss Embassy in Kosovo, held a roundtable entitled “Education of Roma, Ashkali and Kosovo Egyptians – Reflections and Coordination” in Pristina on 13 May 2013.

The theme of the round table was the ponderous issue of integrating RAE communities in pre-, primary, secondary and higher education institutions.

In his opening speech Costel Bercus, Chairman of REF, stressed the importance of the closing all segregating, Roma-only classes and schools and that quality education services had to be made equally accessible for all children, regardless their social or ethnic background.

“We must intervene, in order to help access quality education services for the Roma children of many countries of South Eastern, and Central Eastern Europe, for Kosovo as well,” said Bercus.

Swiss Ambassador Krystyna Marty Lang seconded the urging importance of eliminating all special education centers that were embedding segregation and discrimination.

“Things like discrimination and segregation in schools of Kosovo should never be an issue. That is a common responsibility, for what we all have to stand up and make see these changes happen. Teachers, students, and especially parents play an extremely important role in achieving this,” said Ambassador Lang.

According to Deputy Minister of Education Neha Mustafa, there is an increased tendency of interest paid by RAE for university studies. He explained that the application of a new educational framework resulted in reducing the school drop-out rate amongst RAE children over the last four years. So far, he claims, about 86 percent of these communities are part of the educational system. Mustafa said that the school year 2015-2016 is expected to be mandatory for all, including RAE communities.

“The Republic of Kosovo is a unique state, because it is the only country which offers regular education from preschool level to high levels in four languages, which I would say is not practical in any European country. Then we started opening education or remedial classes in Roma in Kosovo, with a pilot that we did in the municipality of Prizren and intend to roll out to all municipalities of the Republic of Kosovo, and we anticipate there will be an interested Romani student community who want to follow,” said Mustafa.

Szilvia Pallaghy, program manager of the Roma Education Fund, seconded that REF has been highly committed to improve the chances in accessing better education services for RAE children, at all levels of education.