On the 5th of November, we celebrate International Romani Language Day. On this occasion, the first session of the Subcommittee on Roma Issues, the Committee on Human and Minority Rights and Gender Equality of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia was organized in Belgrade.
The ceremony was attended by Branko Ružić, minister of education, science and technological development, Gordana Čomić, minister of human and minority rights and social dialogue, representatives of the Ministry of Culture and Information, representatives of National Assembly, National Council of the Roma National Minority, the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, the Council of Europe Office, UNESCO and the OSCE Mission to Serbia, and civil society organizations.
Director of the Roma Education Fund, Redjepali Chupi, was given the honor to greet the assembly and he emphasized the importance of nurturing and preserving the Roma language, as an element of Roma culture and identity.
“Since its founding in 2005, Roma Education Fund is committed to closing the gap in the educational outcomes between Roma and non-Roma students. Our mission would not be completed if we had omitted the mother tongue of Roma students in this whole process. Roma language and its impact on achieving educational results and successful transition to higher levels of education in the process of attending classes in a language that is not the mother tongue. In general, Roma families and communities face disproportionately greater health, socio-economic and educational challenges and difficulties, and Roma students from the very beginning of school do not have the same or equal starting position with non-Roma students who attend classes in their mother tongue” – said Chupi.
He remarked that it is necessary for the common goals to be aimed at contributing to the building of civil society, respect for the right to speak and learn the mother tongue and culture of all communities, including Roma.
“In primary education, efforts continue with creating new and improving existing public policies and programs to reduce the education gap. Teachers should be given the possibility to choose the materials for learning the Romani language and continuously trained on how to use it, which will all together provide every child with the opportunity to learn in their mother tongue. Language, which is ultimately for greater involvement in the educational process and in society in the general. In addition, it is necessary to strengthen multiculturalism, non-discrimination and gender equality, as core values of any modern and democratic society. Finally, the intensive pace of creating and implementing policies aimed at improving interethnic relations in the country through education should be continued.
The concept of diversity should be accepted as a bridge between different ethnic communities in the country as regards to achieving an equal society and opportunities for all citizens”, Chupi concluded.
The participants concluded that Roma culture in Serbia is not visible enough, while the state officials expressed that Roma inclusion is high among the state’s priorities.
As part of the celebration of International Romani Language Day, a debate was held on the standardization of the Romani language, Romani in publishing and the media, but also the introduction of Romani language and culture as a subject in primary schools.
