On 5th October 2020, the Minister of Labor and Social Policy (MLSP) of North Macedonia, Jagoda Shahpaska, had a meeting with Redjepali Chupi, Co-Director of the Roma Education Fund (REF), to discuss the REF-supported ongoing projects with respect to increase the inclusion of Roma in society through receiving assistance in pre-school processes.
Chupi pointed out that the Roma Education Fund has activities in 16 countries in Southeast Europe. The projects, spoken out with a greater importance in North Macedonia, are the Secondary School Scholarship program for Roma students and the project for free inclusion of Roma children in preschool education. The second intervention has been implemented by the national MLSP in cooperation with 18 units of local self-government. Beside these, REF covers primary and tertiary level of education among Roma students through direct implementation of projects in partnership with the Roma NGOs and national and local institutions.
Each year 350 to 400 Roma children aged 3-6 have been included in preschool education. In addition, 19 Roma pre-school teaching assistants have been employed on a permanent contract as part of the project activities and 15 to 20 local Roma pre-school mediators have been involved on annual basis.
In January 2019, the number of enrolled Roma children in pre-school care has increased in 13 municipal units through a governmental decision. The decision refers to Social Welfare beneficiary families whose children could be enrolled into kindergartens free of charge, as their daily attendance is to be paid by the local-self-governments. REF expects this to continue in school year 2020/2021 and will support the process as the organization did last year through provision of a solicited grant.
Another point of discussion between Shahpaska and Chupi was the possibility of involving Roma children in online curriculum monitoring if the situation does not allow physical presence in the kindergartens due to COVID-19 crisis.
