School Segregation of the Roma in the Czech Rep. MIVAL Brno, 2012 March 13th
Aim of the paper: • to deal with the tragic fact that in the Czech Republic,
• about 27% (www.czechtv.cz) - 30% (www.respekt.cz) of Roma children attend special schools 2
Which means for them that also in future, they • very probably will not leave the ghetto. • very probably will have no secondary education. • very probably will be a burden for the social welfare system because frequently unemployed. • very probably will be a target of racial attacks. • very probably will be a scapegoat for various politicians and media due to their isolation. • very probably will not be able to support their own children’s education. • etc. 3
Special/practical schools • What is their purpose? – to educate children with “heavy mental handicaps”
• Who attends them? – Roma children: one in 3. Czech native speakers: one in 47 (source: Klara Laurencikova, MSMT at idnes.cz). Another 30% of Roma children attend segregated Roma basic schools (source: GAC agency for MofE).
• Who decides? – Local Educational Psychology Service Centers upon request of teachers, parents must agree
• What are the criteria? – IQ!!!!!!, claim the testers, mental retardation
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Practical schools
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Petr Klima, psychologist, director of Educational Psychology Service Center Prague • “Romské děti v testech masivně selhávají. Nevymýšlím si to, tak to prostě je, osmdesát procent z nich se pohybuje v hraničním pásmu retardace.“ • “Vím, že se připravují nové testy a metody. Ale já mám svůj test osahaný už skoro čtyřicet let. Umím s ním pracovat a s něčím nevyzkoušeným začínat nehodlám, to bych raději skončil.” 6
Change of selection criteria for special schools? • „Musíme to změnit. Ale nebude to lehké, odhaduji, a to možná optimisticky, že proti změně stojí tak sedmdesát procent lidí z poraden a zvláštního školství.“ (Jana Zapletalova, psychologist, director of Institute of Educational Psychology Counseling) • „Narazili jsme na ministerstvu na silnou opozici či nechuť lidí, kteří jsou přesvědčeni, že systém zvláštního školství funguje výborně.“ (Klara Laurencikova, MSMT) 7
Interim summary: Less tangible means of segregation • Special/practical schools • Parents • Ministry: proposed financing system for basic schools based on pupil testing • Public opinion – history of Roma “integration management” • financial dependence (Moravsky Beroun)
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2007: 18 Roma VS. Czech Rep. in Strassbourg • Matter: Discrimination in terms of being deprived of the right of equal education on ethnic grounds • Reasons: Roma children sent to special schools for no other reason than their race • European court of human rights decided in favor of the Roma • Czech Ministry of Education was obligated to perform appropriate changes in the school system • Source: http://portal.justice.cz/justice2/ms/ms.aspx?o=23&j=3 3&k=390&d=201083 (sentence of the Court of Human Rights) 9
2009: Media report (Respekt)
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Petition of Czech parents from Brno against more than 3 Roma children in each class • „Žádáme vás, aby byly vytvořeny dvě první třídy tak, aby romské děti byly společně a neromské také. Upozorňujeme, že pokud ve třídě budou více než tři Romové, takový záměr integrace jste nám sdělila do telefonu, přeřadíme děti na ZŠ Zemědělská. Víme sice, že škola je šedá a posmutnělá, víme, že dětem nenabízí takový servis jako vy, ale má jednu přednost. Ví se, že Romy pan ředitel zásadně nebere! Jsme v oblasti, kde s nimi musíme bydlet, a proto si nepřejeme, aby naše děti byly s nimi již od první třídy ve škole.“ 11
2009: 13 NGOs against the Ministry of Education • “Spolecne do skoly”: MoE has not taken any practical measures resulting from the verdict of the EU Human Rights court • http://www.ceskatelevize.cz/ct24/domaci/656 92-segregace-romskych-zaku-problem-naceskych-skolach/
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2009: The Ministry strikes back • MoE insists it has taken the following steps: – money from EU funds to support local schools and educational psychology counceling institutions – workshops for teachers – two analyses • education paths and chances http://www.msmt.cz/pro-
novinare/jake-jsou-vzdelanostni-sance-deti-ze-socialne-znevyhodnujiciho
• individual approach of teachers
– National Plan of Inclusive Education 13
To segregate or not to segregate? • The Government’s National Economic Council (NERV) suggests cancelling practical schools • The Government’s Agency for Social Inclusion suggests cancelling practical schools • Government concludes on the National Plan of Inclusive Education suggesting the same BUT • Ministry of Education’s policy “one step forth, two steps back” 14
2011: “Together to school” two years later: No change! • Reports: UIV 2009 (Institute for Information in Education), ČŠI 2010 (School Inspectorate), Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe T. Hammarberg 2010 and 2012 • NAPIV (Action Plan of Inclusive Education) • Plan of the MoE to test all 5th and 9th grade children • Plan of the MoE to develop technical secondary schools • Recent statement of the MoE on retaining special schools • Source: http://spolecnedoskoly.cz/tiskova-zprava-k-vyrocirozhodnuti-evropskeho-soudu-pro-lidska-prava-ve-strasburkuve-veci-dh-a-ostatni-versus-ceska-republika/
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Report of Human Rights Commissioner of the Council of Europe February 2012
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“The Plan”
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2011/2012: Petition against Cancelling Practical Schools • signed by about 40,000 parents, teachers and special teachers • initiated by a local politician (ODS) and teacher • letter to the minister of education – cancelling practical schools would bring about bad education for all children – current system includes all necessary options – “Roma children” explicitely 18
Minister’s Response to the Petition
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Fair School
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Fair School on Practical Schools
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“Go to a good school!”
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Methodical materials for inclusive learning and teaching • http://ferovaskola.cz/ke-stazeni.html • http://www.iqrs.cz/ • http://www.fairtrade.cz/cz/142-multikulturnivychova-v-pribehu/
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To sum up: • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6FDkEbf CjA
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