Czech Republic: Romani parents learn how to get their children into mainstream schools

Roughly 150 Romani parents have attended seminars in 10 towns around the Czech Republic to learn how to prevent their children ending up in the "practical primary schools". Thanks to role-playing scenarios, the parents have rehearsed how to reject official offers that their offspring be assigned to such schools. 

The seminars were held by the Slovo 21 association. The last one took place this past Tuesday in Prague.

According to the most recent research, Romani children comprise an average of 10 % of mainstream school pupils but 28 % of those in "practical schools". "The role-playing scenes reflect the everyday situation of Romani parents with preschoolers. The parents have a decision to make. We wanted to explain to them that education in the ‘practical schools’ is not beneficial to their children’s futures, that they should not send them to those schools but should enroll them into mainstream schools," project coordinator Michal Miko told the Czech News Agency.  

The Czech Republic has long garnered criticism from activists and institutions abroad over the fact that many Romani children end up attending the "practical schools", designed for children with light mental disability, when there is no reason for them to do so. This practically closes off their future path to higher education and their ability to better assert themselves in society.

In November 2007, the Czech Republic lost a case before the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg to 18 young Romani residents from the Ostrava area. According to that judgment, the country violated the Romani children’s right to education and discriminated against them by reassigning them into what were then called "special schools".

The conveners of the seminars designed four scenarios performed by Romani actors. In the first scenario, a child is shown asking his mother what is in a picture.

The woman is busy doing something at the time and dismisses the question. Activists say the scene is part of an effort to get parents to pay more attention to their daughters and sons.

In the second scene, a parent is registering a child for school. The teacher does her best to get the child sent to a "practical school" and the parent must respond.

In the third scene, a father and mother are discussing their child; the father attended a "special school" himself. The mother is supposed to convince the father that their child should attend a mainstream school.

The fourth scene portrays a Romani child on a playground. The other children are laughing at him because he goes to "practical school".

"Parents want the best possible fate for their children, even if they themselves attended ‘special school’. They realize most of this when they see it in the scenarios. They understand everything then," Miko said. 

Lecturers also worked with children at the seminars. The little ones were encouraged to draw or model in clay.

Time was spent with a total of 140 preschoolers so the boys and girls will be able to stand their ground during school registration. The children were then given blocks, crayons, pencils and plasticine to take home.

The seminars were held in towns with large Romani populations. The first one was held at the start of October in Ostrava and the final one was held this past Tuesday in Prague.

The project was funded by grants. A total of EUR 9 940 came from the OSCE, while EUR 3 000 came from the Heinrich Böll Foundation.

The organizers would like to continue the project. Whether they can will depend on raising more financial support.

Experts say nursery school attendance would also help improve the inclusion of Romani children into mainstream schools and that the final year of nursery school prior to enrollment into compulsory education should be mandatory. Preschoolers acquire many skills and get accustomed to the rhythm of the school day, which makes their entry into first grade easier and reduces the risk of their being later reassigned into a "practical school".