Version endorsed by the CAHROM at its 3^rd meeting

CAHROM (2012)6

Ohrid, 23 May 2012

AD HOC COMMITTEE OF EXPERTS ON ROMA[1] ISSUES

(CAHROM)

__________

THEMATIC REPORT

by the experts of the CAHROM thematic group on

SCHOOL DROP-OUT/ABSENTEEISM OF ROMA CHILDREN

following the CAHROM thematic visit to Nieuwegein and Veldhoven,

The Netherlands, on 12-14 March 2012

__________

Experts from THE NETHERLANDS, requesting country:

Mr Cor de Vos, CAHROM Expert and former Mayor of Nieuwegein

Mrs Magda Jablonski, Secretary of the Platform for Dutch Roma Municipalities

Experts from HUNGARY, SPAIN and SWEDEN, partner countries:

Hungary: Mr Iván Sör

ös, Expert on Public Education and Social Inclusion, State Secretariat for Social Inclusion, Ministry of Public Administration and Justice, who was invited to present inter alia the Tanoda Extracurricular Programmes;

Spain: Mr Ángel Pérez Barandiarán, Officer at the Education Department of Fundación Secretariado Gitano (FSG), who was invited to provide information on the Promociona Programme, which provides preventive measures against drop-out;

Sweden: Ms Tiina Kiveliö, from the Stockholm County Administrative Board, who has a coordinating and following-up role within the Board regarding the Swedish national minority policy.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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I. INTRODUCTION                                                                                                  page 3

1.1       Background                                                                                         page 3

1.2       Composition of the thematic group of experts                                     page 3

1.3       Agenda of the thematic visit                                                                page 4

1.4       Purpose of the request and expectations from the requesting country            page 4

II. RELEVANT EUROPEAN AND INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS AND

     REFERENCE TEXTS                                                                                      page 5

III. COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS (SITUATION, POLICIES, MEASURES)                        page 7

3.1.      Size and composition of the Roma groups                                           page 7

                        3.1.1 The Netherlands                                                                         page 7

                        3.1.2 Hungary                                                                                      page 8

                        3.1.3 Spain                                                                                          page 8

                        3.1.4 Sweden                                                                                       page 9

3.2.      General policy and legislation covering school attendance                  page 9

                        3.2.1 The Netherlands                                                                         page 9

                        3.2.2 Hungary                                                                                      page 10

                        3.2.3 Spain                                                                                          page 12

                        3.2.4 Sweden                                                                                       page 12

3.3       Policy approach                                                                                               page 14

                        3.3.1    Mainstream vs. minority approach                                           page 14

                        3.3.2    Nationally- vs. locally-based approach                                                page 15

-      The Dutch programme to fight crime in general and

the exploitation of Roma children                                                  page 16

                        3.3.3    Law enforcement vs. preventive measures                              page 17

-      The Wisselgeld/Exchange Money programme in Nieuwegein   page 18

-      The local policy approach towards Roma in Veldhoven    page 19

-      The TANODA extracurricular learning programmes in Hungary page 20

-      The PROMOCIONA programme in Spain                                      page 21

-      The pre-school system in Sweden                                                  page 23

3.3.4    Consultation with- vs. active participation of Roma                page 23

IV. LESSONS LEARNT AND GOOD PRACTICES IDENTIFIED                                    page 24

(the following sub-chapters appear in the summary table)

4.1       Main reasons and obstacles for low school attendance of Roma children           p. 25-34

            4.2       Responses and measures undertaken, and good practices                                p. 25-34

            4.3       Relevant international standards, recommendations and projects                        p. 25-34

APPENDICES:                                                                                                           page 35

Appendix 1:    Formal invitation to CAHROM                                                            page 35

Appendix 2:    Agenda of the thematic visit                                                    page 35

Appendix 3:    List of participants of the thematic visit                                               page 35

I. INTRODUCTION

1.1  Background

The thematic groups on school drop-outs/absenteeism of Roma children, especially when transiting from primary to secondary education, and with a special focus on Roma girls, was set up at the request of the Dutch CAHROM member, Mr Cor de Vos, following the request made by two Dutch municipalities, Nieuwegein and Veldhoven. Both of them belong to the Platform for Dutch Roma Municipalities, which is acting under the Association of Dutch Municipalities (VNG).

Initial contacts with both Mr Cor de Vos and Ms Magda Jablonski, Secretary of the Platform for Dutch Roma Municipalities, were followed by a written invitation received by the Secretariat on 1 March 2012 from Mr Frans Backhuijs, Mayor of Nieuwegein and Chairman of the Platform who formally invited CAHROM experts and the Council of Europe Secretariat to visit the municipalities of Nieuwegein and Veldhoven on 12-14 March 2012 (see Appendix 1).

With a view to preparing the thematic visit, each expert of the thematic group was asked to provide background information about the situation of Roma, the legislative framework pertinent to the topic, and measures and policies towards Roma education, including financial means. Written background documents submitted by the requesting and partner countries and presentations made during the visit appear in an Addendum to this report.

1.2  Composition of the thematic group of experts

The thematic group of experts was composed of two experts from the requesting country, Mr Cor de Vos, CAHROM member and former mayor of Nieuwegein, and Mrs Magda Jablonski, Secretary of the Platform for Dutch Roma Municipalities, as well as of an expert from each of the three partner countries[2]. Two of them were suggested by the Roma Education Fund for programmes addressing school absenteeism: Mr Iván Sörös from Hungary who was invited to present Tanoda Extracurricular Programmes and Mr Ángel Pérez Barandiarán from Spain was invited to provide information on the Promociona Programme, which contains preventive measures against drop-out. Sweden, which had manifested its interest in being part of this group, nominated Ms Tiina Kiveliö from the Stockholm County Administrative Board.

The Netherlands and Sweden have a comparable size of Roma population (close to 40,000 and 50,000 respectively), whilst Hungary and Spain have a much larger Roma population (650,000-750,000 approximately). It was felt useful to compare the different policy approaches between the four countries: in the Netherlands, the mainstream approach prevails and Roma are not recognised as a national minority[3]. In Hungary and Sweden on the contrary, Roma are considered as a national minority and benefit from targeted measures. Spain is somewhat in the middle: whilst it does not recognise Roma as a minority, this group is nevertheless covered by the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and Spain was the first country in Europe to adopt a targeted policy for Roma[4], as early as 1985. Hungary and Spain are participating countries of the Decade of Roma Inclusion, whereas the Netherlands and Sweden are not.

1.3  Agenda of the thematic visit

Following words of welcome by Mr Frans Backhuijs, Mayor of Nieuwegein, and Mr. Bert Lubbinge, alderman (deputy to the mayor), Mr Cor de Vos made a focused introduction to the topic of school absenteeism of Roma children in the Netherlands and indicated the Dutch expectations for this visit and a series of issues that he would wished to also see addressed. This introduction was followed by a presentation from the manager of the Wisselgeld project carried out in Nieuwegein and a general discussion. At lunchtime the CAHROM team of experts visited the “special” primary school SBO De Evenaar and met with the school director and vice-director. The afternoon was devoted to presentations by partner countries’ experts and a discussion in which Mr Peter Jorna, consultant on Roma and Sinti issues, took part. Mrs Mila van Burik from the NGO Triana could unfortunately not join the group. On 13 March, the CAHROM team of experts went to Veldhoven where it heard, after the words of welcome from Mr Huub Verhagen, Head of the Municipal Department of Work, Income and Care, various presentations from the Municipality Officer dealing with Roma, two “intermediaries” (municipal social workers), one community worker, one school attendance officer and a policeman from the Dutch Police Academy. Following a lengthy exchange of views between participants, the CAHROM team of experts visited a primary and a secondary school and several Roma locations. The morning of the third day was devoted to a debriefing between experts of the thematic group and the Secretariat. The agenda and the list of participants appear in Appendices 2 and 3 respectively.

1.4  Purpose of the request and expectations of the requesting country

Mr de Vos started by explaining that, as former mayor of Nieuwegein for eleven years dealing with about 61,000 people in that municipality, including 400 of Roma origin, he was obliged to have his feet firmly on the ground, far beyond theoretical discourse. He recalled the starting point of Dutch policy: everybody is equal, everybody has the same rights but also the same duties. Laws and rules are the same for everybody whether of Dutch, Moroccan, Turkish or Roma origin. Likewise, everybody, as a citizen and member of a municipality, is expected to contribute to the local community according to his/her ability. This being said, there are families of Dutch and other origin with numerous problems (poverty, unemployment, debt, low level of education, domestic violence, physical and/or psychological health problems, etc.) who are unable to contribute to society. In Mr de Vos’ experience, a lot of Roma families belong to this group.

To respond to the needs of so-called “Roma multi-problem families”, Nieuwegein municipality set up the Wisselgeld/Exchange Money programme (see chapter 3.3.3 below).

Whilst enforcing the law would bring some improvement, Mr de Vos also said that other measures are needed, notably the involvement of Roma parents and families who must understand that the only way to achieve recognition in Dutch society is to educate their children and obey domestic laws. The Dutch, meanwhile, have to accept that Roma have their own habits and culture. Mr de Vos concluded his introduction underlining that the Netherlands offers a lot of opportunities to everybody who wants to take them: e.g. the conditions for housing and health are rather good, including for Roma. The main problem remains school drop out and, as a consequence, access to the regular labour market. Mr de Vos acknowledged that some discrimination exists with the current atmosphere among parts of the population in the Netherlands not favouring people who are not of Dutch origin. Although segregation within society is much bigger in Eastern Europe, the distance between Roma and the rest of the Dutch population remains much wider than between other minority groups and the majority.

Mr de Vos finally raised a series of questions that he wished to be addressed during the visit:

·     Is it normal that girls drop out of school, get married and have children at a very young age?

·     Can being sold by your parents (dowry) be associated with human trafficking?

·     What should prevail: the Roma culture and traditions or the law in the Netherlands which makes going to school compulsory?

·     If parents do not send their children to school, can this justify the council of child protection or for youth care institutions taking children away from their family and bringing them to foster parents or a residential institute?

Some of these questions were addressed and are reflected upon in parts of the report (see e.g. sub-chapter 3.3.3 and Chapter IV Lessons learnt).

II. RELEVANT EUROPEAN/INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS AND REFERENCE TEXTS

The right to education for all children, and for Roma children in particular, including the issues of school drop-out and absenteeism, has been extensively addressed and documented by European and international governmental and non-governmental organisations through conventions, recommendations, case-law, reports and specific projects. References to a number of those and specific quotations are made either in footnotes of this thematic report, in the summary table of lessons learnt (see chapter IV below) or in the Addendum.

For additional research, it was felt; however, useful to recall the titles of the most relevant texts and documents of reference in this chapter.

As far as the Council of Europe is concerned, special attention should be given to:

-            the 1950 Council of Europe Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ETS No. 5), in particular in Article 14 (Prohibition of discrimination), in the 1952 Protocol thereto (ETS No. 9), in particular in its Article 2 (Right to education), and in the 2000 Protocol No. 12 thereto (ETS No. 177);

-            the 1995 Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (ETS No. 157)[5];

-            the 1992 European Charter of Regional or Minority Languages (ETS No. 148)[6];

-            the 1961 European Social Charter (ETS No. 35)[7];

-            the Recommendation CM/Rec(2009)4 of the Committee of Ministers on the education of Roma and Travellers;

-            the Recommendation CM/Rec(2008)5 of the Committee of Ministers to member states on policies for Roma and/or Travellers in Europe;

-            the Recommendation No. R (2000) 4 of the Committee of Ministers on the education of Roma/Gypsy children in Europe;

-            the Recommendation 1924 (2010) and Resolution 1740 (2010) of the Parliamentary Assembly on The Situation of Roma in Europe and relevant activities of the Council of Europe”;

-            the Congress Recommendation 315 (2011) and Resolution 333 (2011) on the situation of Roma in Europe: a challenge for local and regional authorities;

-            ECRI General Policy Recommendations No. 3 on combating racism and intolerance against Roma/Gypsies (1998), No. 7 on national legislation to combat racism and racial discrimination (2002), No. 10 on combating racism and racial discrimination in and through school education (2006) and No. 13 on combating anti-Gypsyism and discrimination against Roma;

-            the Final Declaration of the 22nd session of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education, on “Building a more humane and inclusive Europe: role of education policies” (Istanbul, 4-5 May 2007);

-            recommendations and policy orientations included in the White Paper on Intercultural Dialogue “Living together as equals in dignity”, launched at the 118th Session of the Committee of Ministers (Strasbourg, 7 May 2008);

-            the Strasbourg Declaration on Roma adopted at the High Level Meeting on Roma (Strasbourg, 20 October 2010);

-            the Declaration adopted at the Summit of Mayors on Roma (Strasbourg, 22 September 2011), which inter alia calls for the support of the ROMED programme and the setting-up of a European Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion[8];

-            the Roma Youth Action Plan based on guidelines proposed by the participants of the Roma Youth Conference (September 2011).

Additionally, apart from the reports of the relevant Council of Europe monitoring bodies (the Commissioner for Human Rights, the Advisory Committee of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, the Committee of Experts of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages and the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), as well as the case law ofthe European Court of Human Rights[9], and the conclusions and decisions of the European Committee of Social Rights, the following Council of Europe reports and publications could be used as sources of inspiration for this thematic report:

-            the Commissioner for Human Rights’ Viewpoint “The key to the promotion of Roma rights: early and inclusive education”[10];

-            the Commissioner for Human Rights’ publication “Human Rights of Roma and Travellers in Europe”, Council of Europe Publishing (February 2012);

-            Jean-Pierre Liégeois “Roma in Europe”, Council of Europe Publishing (2009);

-            Jean-Pierre Liégeois “The Council of Europe and Roma: 40 years of action”, Council of Europe Publishing (2010 for the French edition; 2012 for the English one);

-            The Commentary of the Advisory Committee on Education under the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities[11];

-            the project ““Education of Roma children in Europe” (2002-2009)”[12] and its publications;

-            the current joint CoE/EU ROMED programme “Intercultural mediation for Roma”)[13].

Other relevant European and international reference texts and documents include:

-            the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child[14];

-            the 2003 Action Plan on Improving the Situation of Roma and Sinti within the OSCE Area[15];

-            the ODIHR Status Report on the Implementation of the Action Plan on Improving the Situation of Roma and Sinti within the OSCE Area (Warsaw, 2008);

-            the ODIHR Mapping of participation of Roma and Sinti children in early education processes within the OSCE Region[16] (Warsaw, November 2010);

-             the European Union Council conclusions on an EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies up to 2020 in Brussels on 19 May 2011;

-            The European Union Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) Overview of the situation of Roma and Travellers in Public Education in EU Member States[17] (published by EUMC, May 2006);

-            the European Parliament Resolution on the EU Strategy on Roma Inclusion (March 2011);

-            the joint UNICEF/OSI/REF Overview report “Roma Early childhood Education” (2012).

III. COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF SITUATIONS, POLICIES AND MEASURES

3.1. Size and composition of the Roma groups

                        3.1.1    the Netherlands

There are no exact figures regarding the number of people of Roma origin in the Netherlands as registration based on ethnicity is prohibited. Estimates vary from a few thousand to forty thousand, which means that no more than 0.24 per cent of the Dutch population is of Roma origin.

Roma in the Netherlands can be divided into five different groups according to their historical presence:

a)                  Roma, Sinti and Dutch Travellers traditionally residing in the Netherlands: this group concerns Sinti and a few Roma families present on the Dutch territory since the 15^th century[18] who, until the 1960s lived a nomadic lifestyle. This group of Dutch Sinti and Roma contains approximately 2,500 people. Dutch Travellers (woonwagenbewoners) are estimated to be 35,000 and have Dutch ethnicity. They do not have a language of their own and their history dates back to ‘only’ around 1850. A small number of Travellers, Sinti and Roma live in caravans or mobile homes (predominantly fixed in situ), situated in special centres or campsites.

b)                 About 1,500 Roma who came to the Netherlands as migrant workers and labourers around the late 1960s and 1970s and as refugees from Turkey in the 1980s.

c)                  Roma who were granted a residence permit in 1978: this third group, often referred to as the General Pardon group, concerns Roma who were legalised in the 1970s. Although most of them did not have any identity papers, it is assumed that the majority originates from the former Yugoslavia. In the 1980s, eleven municipalities welcomed those Roma. One of these municipalities, Nieuwegein, has admitted publicly that the policy to integrate this group into society has failed. Most municipalities represented in the Dutch Platform for Roma municipalities accommodate Roma from the General Pardon group. In 1978, this group consisted of 520 individuals dispersed around eleven municipalities. In the meantime, this group increased to approximately 2,800-3,000 individuals.

d)                 Roma who came to the Netherlands in the 90s: this fourth group is more a collection of individuals and families from the former Yugoslavia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Bulgaria. They are not concentrated into certain cities or areas but can be found anywhere in the Netherlands. This group concerns about 1,000 people.

e)                  Roma newcomers, arriving since the expansion of the European Union (as from 2000): this last group concerns essentially Bulgarian and Romanian Roma.

Within the Netherlands, approximately 55 municipalities house Roma residents from various backgrounds. Eleven of these municipalities, with predominantly Roma from group C above, belong to the Platform for Dutch Roma Municipalities acting under the Association of Dutch Municipalities (VNG).

In the two municipalities visited by the team of experts reside essentially populations from the first group (Dutch Roma in Veldhoven) and the third group (General Pardon Group in Nieuwegein).

                        3.1.2    Hungary

According to the data of the census conducted in 2001, based on ethnic affiliation, 190,046 persons declared themselves to be Roma. In the present decade, researchers estimate the Roma population to be between 650,000 and 750,000. This represents approximately seven per cent of the entire population of the country.

Three linguistic sub-groups are identified: the Romungros (Hungarian-speaking Roma), the Vlach Roma (bilingual, speaking both Romani and Hungarian) and the Beash Roma group (who speak Hungarian and Beash, a dialect of Romanian).

The Roma population has an uneven geographical distribution in the territory of the country. In certain counties, Roma can reach fifteen per cent. Additionally, territorial differences are extreme at the level of smaller territorial units; in a number of localities and locality groups, the Roma constitute the majority of the population.

More than 60% of Roma live in the countryside, in a rural environment, mostly in segregated residential zones, in rather poor housing conditions. There are some one hundred localities in Hungary which have definitively turned into poor Roma ghettos, while in another two hundred localities, this situation will emerge in the near future as a result of seemingly irreversible processes. Most of the segregated localities and localities on their way to micro-regional ghettoisation are situated in the country’s economically depressed north-eastern and south-western regions which are typically characterised by a structure of small localities.

The age composition of the Roma population is substantially younger than that of the non-Roma population. In 2010, the rate of children aged between 0 and 14 amongst Roma was 36.8%, while this proportion within the non-Roma population was 15.4%.

The general socio-economic situation of Roma in Hungary is worse than that of the majority population, specifically in the areas of unemployment, health and education. Most of the Roma suffer from a low educational level (barely 20% of them reach secondary final examinations).

                        3.1.3    Spain

Roma people (locally called Gitanos, an accepted term) have been present in Spain since the 15th century. As in the rest of Europe, their history has been marked by persecution and phases of social exclusion. Currently, the Spanish Roma population stands at around 725,000-750,000. They speak Spanish (some of them also speak the Caló dialect).

In spite of the limitations in determining the total scale of the Roma population in Spain, it is accurately known that the Roma people are distributed across the national territory, with a most concentrated presence in Andalusia, where around 40% of Spanish Roma reside, as well as in Catalonia, Valencia and Madrid. Although their history has been associated with rural life and geographic mobility, the current trend is for prolonged, stable settlement in urban areas which consolidated in the 1950s, 60s and 70s to coincide with the general wave of domestic migration between rural areas and cities.

All social demographic studies carried out show that it is a young population, wherein around a third are aged below 16 years, with birth rates substantially higher than the population average, although in the last decade this disparate rate has begun to reduce.

                        3.1.4    Sweden

The Roma population in Sweden, estimated at around 50,000 (0.53% of the total population), is culturally, linguistically, and religiously heterogeneous, made up of different groups such as Kalderash, Lovari, Churari, Kaale, Travellers, Sinti, Arli and Gurbeti.

The earliest Roma groups arrived on the territory of what is now Sweden in the 16^th century. Different Roma groups have been arriving in the country over a prolonged period of time, from recent migrant workers and refugees in the 1960s to the latest arrivals of citizens from new EU countries, particularly from Romania and Bulgaria. Most Roma in Sweden are Swedish citizens or have permanent residence in the country, with the same social rights as provided to other citizens. Nearly all Roma in Sweden speak Swedish.

3.2. General policy and legislation covering school attendance

3.2.1.   the Netherlands

The Dutch Compulsory Education Act[19] is applicable to all children with or without Dutch nationality, refugees or illegally entered individuals who are of school age. Education is compulsory for children between 5 and 18 years old[20]. The paper on Policy Measures in The Netherlands for the social inclusion of Roma submitted by the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations to the European Commission on 16 December 2011, in response to the European Commission Communication about a EU framework for national Roma integration strategies, recalls the main principles of the Dutch Compulsory Education Act.

Municipalities are responsible for enforcing the law and employ school attendance officers to ensure compliance with this requirement. Parents bear primary responsibility for complying with the Compulsory Education Act, i.e. for enrolling their children into school and for ensuring their daily presence at school. When children, Roma or otherwise, are persistently absent, the school attendance officer takes action – if necessary legal – to ensure they go to school. As a last resort, the attendance officer can report the case to the Public Prosecutor; judicial proceedings can lead to a fine or even a custodial sentence on the parents[21].

To increase school attendance among Roma children, and girls in particular, the previous government made €.0.6 million available to the Platform for Roma Municipalities of the Association of Dutch Municipalities (VNG) in 2010. Some of these municipalities used the funds to finance projects aimed at encouraging Roma children, and girls in particular, to attend school. The VNG is sharing the knowledge and experience gained from these projects with other municipalities facing similar issues. As a result, there is a basis for effectively combatting persistent absence among Roma children.

A compensatory policy is in place for disadvantaged primary school pupils, including Roma children. Municipalities receive €.260 million in government funds for this purpose every year. They are required to use these funds to finance pre-school education, bridging classes and summer school, and have the option of organising other activities aimed at improving children’s language skills. Bridging classes provide extra tuition for pupils whose language skills fall short. Summer school programmes offered during school holidays are also aimed at improving pupils’ Dutch language skills. Over the course of the next few years, an additional €.100 million will be invested in pre-school education, bridging classes and summer schools. Approximately €.400 million a year is available for children whose parents have a low level of education. In general, schools use these funds to pay for extra teaching staff, which enables them to reduce class sizes so that disadvantaged pupils can be given more attention.

Secondary schools receive extra funds for staff if, over the course of two or more years, a certain percentage of their pupils come from neighbourhoods identified as having multiple poverty-related problems. Schools can use these funds to reduce drop-out rates and provide more intensive guidance to individual pupils in order to help them improve their academic performance.

Parents are free to choose their children’s school. No distinction is made on the basis of ethnicity or home address. There are no longer schools attended solely by Roma children.

3.2.2.      Hungary

The target groups of educational equal opportunities programmes are, in every instance and regardless of ethnicity, groups of pupils/students qualifying as pupils/students with multiple disadvantages or as disadvantaged as defined in Section 121 Point 14 of Act LXXIX of 1993 on Public Education.

The educational integration of the Roma population came to a halt in the years preceding the changes of 1989. While in the decades before the 1990s, the Roma significantly caught up with the national average in terms of the completion of their elementary studies and there was an increase in the ratio of Roma individuals with vocational qualifications, their ratio in secondary schools providing final examinations remained negligible and consequently so did their participation in higher education. Their relative situation regarding studies at a higher educational level has since further deteriorated. While their integration in elementary schools continued, their ratio in secondary schools providing final examinations remained below 15 per cent, in contrast to the national average in excess of 80 per cent. Additionally, most of the few Roma who do continue their studies tend to seek admission to vocational schools. They have a much higher drop-out rate than their non-Roma counterparts. In vocational schools, every fourth student on average is required to repeat at least one year during the course of his/her studies (the ratio of students required to repeat a year in grammar schools is 5% in relation to the total number of students), many of them indeed never complete their studies and depart the educational system without qualifications. This phenomenon, which has been on the rise in recent years, greatly contributes to youth unemployment and a rise in poverty and plays a major role in the regeneration of a population with low educational qualifications.

As a result of measures implemented in recent years[22], there has been a decrease in the number of pupils classified as having special educational needs due to a mild mental disability. Decree No. 4/2010. (I.19.)OKM identifies the relevant procedure and the professional requirements of the tests and examinations serving as the basis of the subsequent expert opinion.

In the case of premature drop-outs, the so-called “second chance schools” designed to assist the re-integration of drop-outs into the school system are of particular significance.

A number of state and private scholarship programmes, mentoring programmes and talent fostering programmes[23] help to promote the educational success of disadvantaged elementary school pupils and secondary school students and students in higher education, including disadvantaged Roma, such as:

A.        Programmes designed and financed by the State:

·      The scholarship programme (‘MACIKA’) was first launched in 2000. Managed by the Hungarian Public Foundation for the Roma, it merged with the ‘On the Road’ (Útravaló) Scholarship Programme in 2010. This merged programme covers 20,000 students with almost 11,000 mentor-teachers participating in the programme on an ongoing basis. The programme is exclusively financed by the Hungarian State Budget, which provides more than 2 billion HUF (app. 7 million EUR) through budget estimate to the programme annually.

·      Integrative Pedagogical System. The programme has been running since 2003 and its main aim is to promote inclusive education and the equal distribution of multiply disadvantaged children in peer classes to ensure equal opportunities for them. Approximately 300,000 children, 90,000 of which have multiple disadvantages, as well as 15,000 teachers, take part in the programme annually. Approximately 1,600 public educational institutions were involved in 2011. The programme operates in two ways: on the one hand, it supports measures promoting equal opportunities; on the other hand, it issues wage supplements for teachers working with children from disadvantaged backgrounds. The theoretical base of the programmes is quality education based on individual diversity, therefore any institutional development and design need to align with that. The integrative pedagogical programme has a special status among the programmes of the State Secretariat of Social Inclusion. The programme is exclusively financed by the Hungarian State Budget, which provides more than 7 billion HUF (app. 24 million EUR) through budget estimates to the programme annually.

·         The Arany János Programmes:

-          The Arany János Talent Fostering Programme for Disadvantaged Students was launched in 2000. A sub-programme was devised in 2004 under the title ‘Arany János’ Talent Fostering Boarding Facility Programme for Disadvantaged Students;

-          The Arany János Talent Fostering Boarding Facility – Vocational School Programme for Students with Multiple Disadvantages, was launched in 2007;

·         The Higher Education Mentor Programme has operated since 2005;

B.        Programmes designed by the State and financed by EU funds:

·         TANODA extracurricular learning programmes

C.        Programmes designed and financed by non-governmental organisations:

·         The Romaversitas Foundation is operated by non-state and EU funding and was established in 1996;

·         Scholarships have been granted by the Roma Education Fund in the last five years.

3.2.3.      Spain

The Organic Law of Education 2/2006 from 3^rd May 2006[24] states that “in order to prevent students dropping out of school and to offer more training opportunities and subsequent qualifications and facilitate access to the workplace, there will be initial vocational training programmes for students over sixteen who have not obtained the Certificate in Compulsory Secondary Education”.

The distance between the educational situation of the Roma population (adult and school age) and the rest of the population is truly alarming and is a factor contributing to widening inequalities and to the social exclusion gap affecting a large proportion of this community. The transition to compulsory secondary education remains an insurmountable barrier. There are few boys and even fewer girls who even embark upon secondary education and 80% of those who do so fail to complete their studies.

The high rate of early school-leavers during the compulsory education period is one of the most important challenges facing the educational system, Roma families and society at large and is standing in the way of true social inclusion of the Roma minority.

According to the 2008 Survey of the Roma population, an analysis conducted by Spain's Sociological Research Centre, 24% of this community have reached post-primary school education (in other words, 76% have only primary school studies) compared with 64% of the overall Spanish population. This inequality in the area of education has a negative influence on their labour market integration and therefore on the development of a life project on an equal footing with the rest of the citizens.

Spain and NGO partners have developed educational support actions for the promotion of young Roma and their families.

Since its creation, one of the priorities of the Fundación Secretariado Gitano (FSG) has been the educational advancement of the Roma community. It should not be forgotten that this process got under way only 25 years ago and important progress has been made. Nevertheless, to this day FSG continues to find major voids which pose serious challenges. The 1980s witnessed the implementation of the so-called bridge schools which constituted the first enrolment plan targeting the Roma population.

Over the last several years, FSG has continued to make strides in this area through enrolment support programmes, keeping students in post-compulsory studies through the awarding of scholarships and tutoring, by conducting surveys and research, training, general and technical advisory support for professionals in the field of education and social education and by implementing actions aimed at involving Roma families in the education of their children.

Hence, in the area of education, the FSG has been working to foster the educational advancement of the Roma community at all levels and ages, with a special emphasis on those stages that are proving to be the most difficult, in particular secondary education. This is among the priorities that the FSG envisages in its 2007-2013 Strategic Plan. It includes the PROMOCIONA programme (see below).

3.2.4.      Sweden

On 16 February 2012, the Swedish Government adopted a coordinated and long term Strategy for Roma Inclusion for the period 2012–2032[25] (see Official Communication 2011/12:56)[26].

The twenty-year strategy is to be regarded as a strengthening of the already existing minority policy that applies to all the five national minorities in Sweden: Jews, Roma, Sami, Sweden Finns and Tornedalians.

The Swedish strategy for Roma inclusion, which was already planned, also serves as a response to the call of the European Commission on Member States to adopt national Roma integration strategies or further develop existing strategies. The strategy is based on human rights, with particular emphasis on the principle of non-discrimination. This means that the government emphasises that the Roma, like all others, are entitled to enjoy all human rights.

The target group is above all those Roma who are living in social and economic exclusion and are subject to discrimination. Women and children are a special priority.

The overall goal of the twenty-year Roma strategy is for a Roma who turns twenty years of age in 2032 to have the same opportunities in life as a non-Roma. The rights of Roma who are then twenty should be safeguarded within ordinary structures and areas of activity to the same extent as are the rights for twenty-year-olds in the rest of the population.

The Swedish strategy contains goals and measures within six specific areas of activity: a) education, b) employment, c) housing, d) health, social care and security, e) culture and language and f) the organisation of civil society.

The Government has allocated SEK 46 million for the period 2012–2015 to measures for the Roma. This sum is in addition to the ordinary means allocations for national minorities.

The Government offices have the overall responsibility for coordinating and monitoring the strategy. Implementation as a whole is aimed at reinforced implementation and continuous follow-up of Roma people’s access to human rights at the local, regional and national level. To achieve results, authorities and municipalities must participate and take active responsibility, within their ordinary activity, for drawing attention to and guaranteeing Roma people’s access to their rights. Follow-up will be done in relation to the six goals for the various areas of activity. Progress reports on the implementation of the strategy will be presented annually to the Riksdag in the budget proposal.

The Swedish Education Act stipulates that all children and young people must have access to education of equal value, irrespective of gender, place of residence and social and financial circumstances. In Sweden, compulsory schooling lasts for nine years and children have a right to education from the age of seven. The aim of compulsory school education is to provide all pupils with the knowledge and skills they need to participate in social life and in continued education. Special support is given to pupils who have difficulties with school work. Attending school is free of charge, although minor amounts may be charged for one-off activities. Educational content is determined by the curriculum and subject syllabuses. Individual development plans and written assessments are to be provided every school year and grades are given from year 8 onwards.

The new Schools Act reinforces the pupils’ right to support and improves the monitoring of pupils in need of special support by way of written assessments, earlier formal qualifications and more national tests. In its reform work, the Government has focused on the earlier school years, since these lay the foundations for a subsequent successful education. The Government is also making efforts to develop pupils’ skills in reading, writing and arithmetic.

The responsibility for the student to fulfill their compulsory schooling relies with several parties. The municipality should ensure that the students in primary education and with basic learning disabilities attend school. Anyone with custody of a child of school age shall ensure that the child fulfills their compulsory schooling. If a student does not attend school because the pupil's guardian has not done what he is required to ensure this, the municipality shall oblige the pupil's guardian to fulfill their obligations. A compliance order may be combined with a penalty.

3.3. Various policy approaches

                        3.3.1 Mainstream vs. minority policy approach

It was made clear during the thematic visit that the Dutch and Swedish policies towards Roma differ from each other in terms of policy approach. Whilst the Netherlands has a mainstream policy approach, Sweden follows a national minority one in line with the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. The Netherlands, in addition to offering perspectives, puts emphasis on enforcing the law as an ultimate resort.

The Roma strategy developed by Sweden focuses on the rights of Roma as both a minority with special cultural and language rights and a target group for improving their socio-economic situation. The current minority policy, whose objectives are to protect the national minorities, increase their power and influence and support the historical minority languages in order to promote and preserve them, was adopted in 2000, in conjunction with Sweden’s ratification of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities [27] and the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages.

In the Netherlands, there is no specific legislation or specific national policy for Roma[28]. The current approach towards all groups is to comply with general policy, as the previous tendency for target group policy is no longer up to date. To reduce Roma-issues, generic policy measures have to be taken into consideration.

The first principle of this general policy is that integration is not the responsibility of the government but rather of those who decide to settle in the Netherlands. The second is that a person’s future is more important than their origin. People need to have the will and the means to integrate into society.

The policy approach in Hungary is somehow a mixed approach between mainstreaming and targeting. Since most of the Hungarian Roma, about 80% of them, live in extreme poverty in disadvantaged regions, a policy aimed at the inclusion of the Roma in Hungary cannot be separated from the general fight against poverty and the improvement of social and economic competitiveness. At the same time, the Hungarian government agrees that particular attention should be paid to the ethnic group of the Roma as experiences show that they are the poorest of the poor and have been least reached by the various inclusion programmes. In accordance with the EU basic principle of explicit but not exclusive targeting, the Hungarian government considers that special means, methods and approaches for the involvement of the Roma population are needed.

Article 68 of the 1990 Hungarian Constitution provides minorities with the right to preserve their culture, language and history, allowing political collective participation in public life as well as the rights to their own organisations and to establish regional and national self-governing bodies. The Romani language is recognised as an official minority language and the group is officially recognised as a minority[29].

In 1990 the Office for National Minorities was set up, including a Department on Roma issues. The recognition of both individual and collective rights of minorities and members of minorities was granted through the 1993 Act on the Rights of National and Ethnic Minorities[30] which granted 13 such groups, including Roma, the right to self-government and personal autonomy. All the 13 minorities listed in the Minorities Act of 1993 possess dual identity (Hungarian and ethnic minority) and have the right to elect their own local self-governments, parallel to the national one. This provided the path to Romani autonomy and the formation of the National Gypsy[31] Minority Self-Government (National Roma Self-Government since 2011). The self-governing bodies act as advisory boards in co-operation with the national and local majority authority (see sub-chapter 3.3.3 below for their role in the field of education).

The forms, content and framework of the kindergarten and school education of the Roma minority are regulated in the decrees on kindergarten education of national and ethnic minorities and on school education of national and ethnic minorities. The purpose of kindergarten education is to prepare children for a successful entry into the school system by consciously building on the differences and similarities between the Roma culture and the majority culture.

In Spain the Constitution does not formally recognise or define ethnic minorities[32]. Nor is there any state or government institution or agency responsible for minorities. Roma are therefore not recognised as a national minority. This group is, nevertheless, from a pragmatical point of view covered by the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. Spain has adopted and developed at the level of the State and Autonomous Communities (Regions) a series of targeted Roma programmes since 1985 and has set up a State Council of Roma Community since 2005.

3.3.2 Nationally- vs. locally based approach

All experts of the thematic group agreed that municipalities have a central role in common efforts to improve the situation of the Roma as they are responsible for activities that are decisive for Roma people’s inclusion in society.

To summarize the current position of the Netherlands, one could refer to the letter dated 26 June 2009 to the House of Representatives[33] in which the Dutch government sets out its position on policy in respect of Roma in the Netherlands.

“The Dutch government’s first principle is that municipalities in which Roma populations are concentrated, referred to as “Roma municipalities”, are best placed to bear responsibility by themselves for the correct approach to the problems of the local Roma population.

This involves a limited number of municipalities in the Netherlands and a relatively small Roma population. The second principle is that central government is encouraging the “Roma municipalities” to utilise the options provided to them by the generic policy as effectively as possible in order to deal with the problems signalled by them concerning a segment of the local Roma communities.

[…] In 2010, the Dutch government has put €600,000 at the disposal of the “Roma municipalities” in order to combat the dropping out of school among female Roma students.”

According to the government, primary responsibility for dealing with the problems of the local Roma population lies therefore with municipalities. Central government acknowledges the urgency and severity of these problems. In the absence of a Roma national policy, municipalities are encouraged to make effective use of existing measures and the tools available to deal with problems within certain segments of local Roma communities.

Since 2008, several Dutch municipalities exchange knowledge on Roma-issues. This co-operation was formalised in 2009 in the Platform for Dutch Roma-municipalities, accommodated by the Association of Dutch Municipalities (VNG), in order to share experience and information[34]. The Platform was provided with a grant for three years by the government. Over the last two years, several municipalities were given the possibility to invest in the education area.

These municipalities came to the conclusion, however, that the causes of school drop out and absenteeism could not be solved at municipal level only. A national programme called “Fight crime in general and exploitation of Roma children”[35] was established at the end of 2011 by the Dutch Government after a request from all Dutch Roma municipalities. Its aim is to stop and prevent exploitation of Roma children using an approach in which municipalities, police, central government and other relevant organisations work closely together. Criminal activity will be tackled comprehensively by means of law enforcement, discouragement and putting up barriers. It is important to note that the policy underpinning the programme does not target Roma specifically, but is aimed at combating crime (see below the views expressed by one of the Dutch interlocutors during the thematic visit, Mr Walter Hilhorst from the Dutch Police Academy).

In Sweden the Roma strategy also foresees measures at the local levels, in particular: a pilot project at the municipal level 2012–2015. In order to speed up developments at the local level, the Government will arrange a special pilot project in a number of municipalities, in which county councils will also be involved. The Stockholm county administrative board will be responsible for monitoring and coordinating the project. The National Agency for Education, the Public Employment Service and the Equality Ombudsman will be involved, and the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions will also be invited to participate. State measures in the pilot project include training of bridge builders, testing the use of health communicators, and increased knowledge of the extent to which support is given to Roma children in school in accordance with the law. It is envisaged that a number of these municipalities join the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion to be set up by the Council of Europe in autumn 2012.

In Hungary, through Act LXXIX of 1993 on Public Education (amended in 1996 and in 2003), an action programme was elaborated in the field of education, which allowed the regional minority self-governing bodies the possibility of setting up educational institutions in the minority language, alongside the possibility to address educational desegregation.

The National Roma Self-government and the Roma minority self-governments have the right to maintain and to establish schools and also operate schools of their own in the spirit of cultural and educational autonomy. Education in the school system enables Roma pupils to acquaint themselves with the cultural values of the Roma and provides information on the status, rights, organisations and institutions of the Roma. This form of education and teaching successfully operates in a number of localities. It is, however, necessary to provide further guarantees which prevent Roma minority education from becoming a means of segregation.

Spain’s internal organisation allows promotion of cultural identities and diversity, given the high degree of decentralisation and the broad powers assigned to the Autonomous Communities in a number of pertinent fields.

3.3.3 Law enforcement vs. preventive measures

Dutch policy includes a law enforcement component which is used as an ultimate resort. Dutch authorities at national and local levels came to the conclusion that a policy of only preventive measures did not always bring the expected results in terms of school enrolment. In that sense, it differs from the Hungarian and Spanish approaches which essentially give priority to preventive measures for combatting absenteeism and school drop-out.

In the Netherlands, in case of absenteeism, compulsory school attendance officers are notified. Together with the school and parents, or the child from the age of 12, the officer searches for solutions to prevent absenteeism. If the violation of the Compulsory Education Act continues, the compulsory school attendance officer reports the child. The public prosecutor decides whether prosecution will be undertaken, which could result in a maximum fine of 3,700 Euros or a one month prison sentence by the sub-district court judge.

·         The Wisselgeld/Exchange Money programme: an integrated approach towards Roma multi-problem families in Nieuwegein municipality

The Roma community in Nieuwegein consists of approximately 400 persons who have been present in the municipality since 1978. They are living in houses, scattered through different city areas. It is an isolated group: there is not so much contact with other inhabitants of Nieuwegein and a decreasing unity among the Roma community itself is being witnessed.

Within the Roma community in Nieuwegein, there is an increasingly problematic situation in terms of neighbourhood nuisance, criminality, debt accumulation, unemployment, dependence on social benefits and health problems. The absenteeism of Roma children is still high, especially in secondary school. Discrimination also exists.

Due to the seriousness of these problems and the cry of distress from inhabitants of Nieuwegein to do something about the rising crime rates and nuisance in their living areas or shopping centres, a new, integrated programme to manage the situation was developed. This programme is based on a new methodology called Wisselgeld (Exchange Money).

The Wisselgeld programme, which started on on 1 January 2009, has a two-fold approach: offering perspectives and enforcing the law. The main target groups were initially Roma families with children. The main goal is to reach a positive change in the family system, with a focus on the child, the parents and the living environment. The more specific objectives of the programme include: 1) improving the schooling of Roma children; 2) decreasing the reliance on social benefits; 3) decreasing poverty; 4) decreasing anti-social behaviour in neighbourhoods; and 5) reducing criminality.

Wisselgeld is considered as an integrated approach bearing in mind that it includes a variety of actors[36]. Its implementation relies on the work of two “intermediaries” who work according to the same model: “one family, one plan, one director”.

In terms of results, the CAHROM team of experts was informed that 70 out of 73 Roma children (42 girls and 31 boys aged between 5 and 12) of the 27 families participating in the Wisselgeld approach go to primary school now (6 of them remain relatively absent). Roma pupils are present in almost all primary schools in Nieuwegein and their participation has largely increased in the past years. No big difference was noticed in terms of absenteeism between the schools.

Participation of the 35 Roma pupils in secondary school (aged between 12 and 18) is, however, not yet sufficient, especially for girls: 33% of them go to school (8 boys, 4 girls), 36% are relatively absent (8 boys, 5 girls), whilst 31% are absolutely absent (3 boys, 8 girls, all over 15). There is a high concentration of Roma students in practical education (Baanbreker). An important bottleneck remains the switch from primary to secondary school.

Roma families participating in the Wisselgeld programme are less dependent on social benefits and take a more active part in debt relief programmes. Less anti-social behaviour has also been noticed in the neighbourhood. As a direct effect of the integrated approach, there is better co-ordination and co-operation of services and institutions around the families.

In 2012, the budget allocated to this programme is €.340,000. Recently, the local government of Nieuwegein decided to expand the focus of the Wisselgeld programme to more issues and to all families with multi-problems.

Some of the challenges raised by Mr de Vos in his introductory presentation were addressed in the context of the discussion following the Wisselgeld programme, i.e. child exploitation, trafficking, and early marriages. When implementing the Wisselgeld programme, the municipality became more and more aware of substantial school absenteeism or even drop-out of Roma children in primary school. The situation gets even worse at secondary level, especially for girls who stop going to school when they reach the ages of 12, 13 or 14. Even more alarming for the authorities was the fact that these girls disappeared and the local police and youth care institutions did not know where to. The parents knew but would not say the truth. Authorities suspect that these girls were forced to marry in exchange for a dowry paid to the parents, and that they now live elsewhere in Europe.

When asked about the absenteeism and drop-out of Roma children from school, Roma parents and associations explained that this lack of school attendance is part of Roma culture. Roma parents are afraid of assimilation to the culture of the majority. According to Dutch standards, however, those arguments are unacceptable. National and local authorities have a duty to fight this and ensure that any child attends compulsory education, which is a fundamental right of all human beings, especially children[37].

·         The local policy approach towards Roma in Veldhoven municipality

Mr Eric van der Sommen, Policy Advisor for Roma in the municipality, briefly presented the situation in Veldhoven.

In 2002, there were 223 Roma registered in 45 caravans. These were mainly Dutch Roma in addition to a number of Eastern European brides with children. The number of Roma present in the municipality had increased by 142% over the last 25 years. Almost 100% of the adults were unemployed. Very few Roma children attended primary school (essentially during the winter months).

In 2004, Veldhoven tightened the enforcement of compulsory education. Roma were informed that they had rights and duties, including sending their children to school during the school year. The municipality started with separate classes for Roma pupils divided into two different groups (4-8 years old and 8-14 years old). Roma children started secondary education in special schools at Sondervick College. Education focused on practical and social skills was accompanied by intense contacts between educational mediators and parents, as there was a strong mistrust towards institutions and schools.

In 2009 the first children started attending regular classes in Sondervick College. In 2011, the system of special Roma classes was abandoned because children could follow education in regular classes (the last Roma-only class was closed in 2010). Currently, all Roma children are enrolled in regular education.

At present the number of Roma has stabilised to 225 Roma registered in 57 houses/caravans scattered over four town districts (Schutwal, Hopeenven, De Wegerd and Beerze). Approximately 10 adults are working and school attendance is over 90%. At primary level, 52 Roma children are spread around seven schools. Among the 24 Roma pupils eligible for secondary education, 14 students are spread across two schools and 10 students are exempt due to different causes such as having children, detention or work. Most of these children possess Dutch nationality. A few of them originate from Slovakia or Belgium.

The fact that the number of Roma had not increased over that period was explained by a tighter enforcement of the law on compulsory education and measures to discourage new Roma coming to settle in Veldhoven. Due to the obligation for Roma parents to send their children to school, families had to abandon their nomadic lifestyle (in some of the locations, a caravan has been kept next to the house). A few Roma families refused these enforcement duties and left the municipality.

The municipality policy adviser cooperates with a large range of interlocutors and social workers, including a Roma policy officer, a “Roma intermediary” (a non-Roma community worker), a compulsory school attendance officer, two (non-Roma) mediators called education counsellors for Roma, primary and secondary school teachers, as well as jobcoaches and a customer manager who help Roma in their job search.

Mrs Suzan Smolders, School Attendance Officer, explained that she works closely with public health care, Stichting Stimulans (mediators/jobcoaches), the Public Prosecution Service, the Youth Care Organisation, the Youth Protection Board and the Work, Income and Care Department.

Mrs Marjolein van de Klundert, one of the two community workers (mediators) employed by Stimulans, explained that she used to visit the Roma locations every week to encourage parents to send their children to primary and secondary schools. If not, this is reported, via the School Attendance Officer, to the Public Prosecution Service which can take legal action against the family. In 2011, one third of the reports on absenteeism concerned Roma. Attendance of secondary education has increased but there is always a risk of drop-outs, especially among teenage girls. Co-operation with Stimulans also includes jobcoaching for Roma teenagers between 16 and 18 years old. Students may receive school exemption in order to attend a traineeship or a working programme. The Work, Income and Care Department takes over jobcoaching for teenagers over 18.

In terms of results, a decrease in total absenteeism has been noticed. However, absenteeism due to illness has increased, hence a co-operation agreement with the Public Health Care to limit children’s absence. Co-operation has increased with the Youth Care Organisation and the Child Protection Board which initially had little knowledge about Roma families and their problems. Among the positive results, parents are more aware of governmental and school rules and their involvement, as well as their children’s, in school activities has increased. Children are more open to asking for assistance and Roma teenagers have a better perspective on the regular labour market.

·         The TANODA extracurricular learning programmes in Hungary

TANODA extracurricular learning programmes, a type of informal education for disadvantaged children, came into being on the basis of a standardised model, as developments financed from EU funding. The main purpose of the SROP sub-measure 3.3.5 “Aid for extracurricular learning programmes” project is to reduce the school drop-out rate and to reinforce the path towards the continuation of studies (in secondary schools providing final examinations and in higher education if possible) for pupils/students with multiple disadvantages, Roma youth, pupils/students under child protection care and migrant pupils/students.

The extracurricular learning centres are chosen by children and their parents out of their own free will and designed to assist and manage learning adjusted to the personal educational needs of participants, serving to improve the chances of integration into the formal school system. As part of the programme, 60 alternative learning facility projects were financed in total. However, the sustainability of extracurricular learning centres and the need for the streamlining of parallel institutional development and funding forms are issues yet to be resolved.

The first Tanoda extracurricular learning programmes were launched in Hungary in 2004. The programmes’ main objectives are to reduce school dropout and to facilitate access to secondary and tertiary education for multiply disadvantaged children/Roma children, including those children living under child protection care and migrant students. 20 to 60 students can participate in one Tanoda. The programme operates out of the regular school curriculum and is based on standards worked out by the competent ministries. These standards outline the basic conditions of a programme. Civil organisations are responsible for the implementation of the goals.

The Tanoda programmes were financed by EU resources. Between 2004-2007, 800 million Hungarian forints (3,200,000 Euros) were available in the framework of the Tanoda tender. In between 2009-2011 this sum could reach 1,500 million forints(5,660,000 Euros). Successful applicants for tender could win 12-15 million forints (48,000-60,000 Euros) from 2004-2007, and from 2009-2011, this sum reached 14-22 million forints (56,000-88,000 Euros) for an implementation period of 20-24 months.

In addition to the Tanoda , other pedagogical systems were designed to create equal opportunities for children with multiple disadvantages in local pedagogical practice, such as the Integrative Pedagogical System (IPS)[38] which was introduced in 2003. Institutions using IPS were supported professionally by the National Education Integration Network. IPS is now used by a quarter of elementary schools, whilst kindergartens and secondary schools also have joined the methodology-based programme. In total, approximately 1,600 public educational institutions, 300,000 children (including 80,000 pupils with multiple disadvantages and 20,000 children with multiple disadvantages) and some 13,000 teachers are involved. A study on the impact of IPS shows that the programme has led to a general improvement in the development of the pupils/students of the participating schools.

·         The PROMOCIONA programme in Spain

From 2000-2006, the FSG managed actions targeting the Roma population through a Multi-Regional Operational Programme to Combat Discrimination financed by the European Social Fund (Acceder Programme). This programme is focused on providing access to employment through the training of the Roma population in Spain. Today, within the framework of the new 2007-2013 period, a new Operational Programme is being implemented which continues to focus on labour market integration but which also includes a new line of action in the field of education.

The aim of this new line of action is not only to encourage Roma students to complete their compulsory studies but to go on to higher levels of education. This requires a reduction in early school leaving, a problem affecting a significant proportion of Roma students.

To this end, the Promociona Programme, supported to a large extent by the European Social Fund and the Spanish Ministry of Health and Social Policy through the allocation of income tax funds, targets the different players taking part in the educational process of young people: the students themselves, their families, schools and other social and educational professionals.

The objective of the Promociona Programme is to ensure an adequate supply of services that reinforces the prevention of early school dropout and encourages higher rates of completion of Compulsory Secondary Education.

In other words, the Promociona Programme seeks to promote both the educational mainstreaming of Roma students with a view to achieving higher academic standards at the end of primary education and throughout the compulsory secondary level of education, as well as continued middle and/or higher studies and vocational training. It has two specific objectives:

§  to facilitate the transition between primary and compulsory secondary education, permanence in the educational system and advancement to further education;

§  to generate and enhance the conditions needed to achieve academic success within the Roma community and, in general, of the entire educational community, through work with the different stakeholders: students, families, schools and other social agents.

The lines of action of the Promociona Programme are as follows:

§  Actions aimed at students who leave prematurely at the compulsory secondary education stage, by means of actions which are adapted to their reality, leading to continuation and/ or reintegration into the educational system;

§  Actions to reinforce and support continuity in the educational process:

o   Through programmes and actions aimed at Roma adolescents and their families, based on awareness and support elements and, thus, framed in “external compensation”, with the participation of and collaboration between the educational system and social services, in active partnership with social organisations, and carrying out actions such as the training of school promoters, the training of Roma father-mother facilitators, the promotion of the presence of fathers and mothers in Parents Associations (AMPAs) and School Councils.

o   Through the promotion of the attractiveness of vocational training and, in the medium and the long term, the access of young Roma to Regulated Vocational Training, beginning with measures promoting better access to information and vocational guidance.

The main actions of the Promociona Programme target Roma students and their families in the final stages of primary education (years 5 and 6) and in compulsory secondary schooling (years 7 to 10). Collaboration with schools and joint work with teachers constitute another of the essential pillars of the implementation of actions.

These actions are specifically aimed at children who are in a standard school environment but who have been identified as requiring accompaniment to increase their likelihood of obtaining their compulsory education degree and to pursue post-compulsory studies.

The requirements for the implementation of the Promociona Programme are as follows:

§  Students should be in the last two years of primary education or in compulsory secondary education;

§  Students must regularly attend class, i.e. at least 80% of the classes during the past quarter;

§  There must be an agreement between the student's family and those responsible for the programme;

§  The school where the student is enrolled must commit to participate in the actions carried out through the Promociona Programme, i.e. prior consent.

In terms of results:

•      80% of the students from the last year of Primary Education passed to the first year of Secondary Education.

•      79% of the students of the last year of Secondary Education have graduated. Most of them will continue to study.

·         The pre-school system in Sweden

In Sweden, the pre-school system is intended for children from the age of one until they start compulsory education. The purpose of pre-school is to stimulate children's development and learning in a secure and caring environment. Pre-school takes a holistic view of children and their needs and is designed so that care, development and learning come together to form a whole.

The pre-school class is a voluntary form of school within the state school system. Municipalities are required to offer children places in pre-school classes from the autumn term of the year in which a child turns six until the child starts his/her compulsory schooling. Today approximately 96 per cent of all six-year-olds go to pre-school classes. The aim of education in pre-school classes is to stimulate pupils development and learning and to prepare them for their future school career.

3.3.4 Consultation with- vs. active participation of Roma

In Sweden, all Roma-related questions and problems must, as far as possible, be approached and handled in close co-operation with Roma themselves. As an example, the Swedish Roma strategy is based on proposals from the Delegation for Roma Issues, which was active between 2006 and 2010. The Delegation’s final report (SOU 2010:55) has been circulated for comment and a number of meetings have been held with Roma representatives in drafting the proposals to the strategy.

All aspects of the implementation of the strategy should be characterised by Roma participation and Roma influence. This should be done by means of consultation, by basing actions on the work of Roma people themselves in civil society, and by asserting Roma language and culture competencies in the implementation.

In the Netherlands, the Roma community itself is also expected to play a crucial role, which is the third principle emphasized in the letter dated 26 June 2009 of the Dutch government addressed to the House of Representatives[39] in which sets out its position on policy in respect of the Roma in the Netherlands.

“Central government’s third principle is that the involvement of the Roma community is of crucial importance when tackling the problems of their own community. It is up to the “Roma municipalities” to involve the Roma community concerning the policy that also applies to them.

Moreover, the Dutch government has resolved to enter into consultation with the Roma community twice a year from 2010 onwards. […] In addition, the Netherlands Institute for Sinti and Roma was founded in 2009, this being a centre of expertise for Roma and Sinti”.

Similarly to the consultation process in Sweden, the Dutch Sinti and Roma Institute (NISR) and the Roma community were consulted by the Government in the drafting phase of the Dutch Government policy document for improving the position of Roma in the Netherlands. The CAHROM team of experts was, however, informed during the visit that NISR has recently been dismantled since their work did not bring any progress to the situation of Roma and Sinti in the Netherlands As a direct result, projects such as those conducted by the Triana Roma Foundation in Utrecht, cannot be implemented any longer due to lack of funding[40]..

The Dutch experts emphasized the difficulty in the Netherlands to find good Roma-role models who have completed their education and can be employed either as mediators or in public institutions. In that respect, the situation in Hungary where Roma are represented in various state, regional and local institutions and in Spain, where Roma organisations are very active in the field and manage EU-funded projects, the Hungarian and Spanish Roma experts in the CAHROM thematic group being telling examples, represent a vivid contrast with the situation in the Netherlands.

To improve the situation in the Netherlands, the partner country experts suggested involving as much as possible Roma in extra-curricula activities, organising capacity building training (e.g. internship), using mentoring techniques (a Rom and a non-Rom working together), or promoting a better image of Roma in the Dutch society through awareness-raising campaigns (as in Spain) or by making interviews with role models and successful Roma in local press so that hey feel of local life (as in Sweden) in order to increase self-confidence and make the majority understand that Dutch Roma are an integral part of the Dutch society.

IV. LESSONS LEARNT AND GOOD PRACTICES IDENTIFIED

The following table summarizes the main obstacles that have been identified as preventing school enrolment of Roma children and their school attendance, as well as various policies and measures undertaken in the countries that composed the CAHROM team of experts. In the third column, reference is made to relevant European and international standards and projects. Information contained in this table takes into consideration personal conclusions of the experts, as well as information collected prior and during the thematic visit to the Netherlands. The following list of obstacles has been identified (see the table for details, responses and international standards):

4.1.1  Multiple disadvantaged families (poverty, unemployment, debt, domestic violence, etc.);

4.1.2  Lack of willingness from Roma parents to enrol their children in school or to ensure their regular presence; low level of education of Roma parents; lack of dialogue between Roma parents and the school; mistrust in the education system and fear of assimilation;

4.1.3  Lack of perspectives on the regular labour market;

4.1.4  Lower expectation from teachers as concerns Roma children’s education; lack of knowledge of Roma culture by teachers and public institutions;

4.1.5  School segregation; lack of (accessible) public transport and documents; housing segregation;

4.1.6  Lack of Roma children in pre-school; lack of knowledge of the national language among Roma children;

4.1.7  Difficulties to enrol in some classes due to age limit or learning difficulties;

4.1.8  Lack of knowledge of the Romani language among Roma children; lack of Romani language teachers; lack of Romani language textbook; absence of recognition of Roma’s culture and historical presence in school curricula;

4.1.9   Early marriages of Roma girls, child exploitation and trafficking;

4.1.10                        Lack of political will and interest at national and local levels to improve the situation ; lack of visibility of state or local action towards Roma; the negative perception of Roma;

4.1.11                        Lack of impact assessment of educational policies for Roma pupils/students: lack of funding.

4.1 Main reasons and obstacles for low school attendance and drop-out of Roma children	4.2 Responses and measures, including good practices, to combat school absenteeism/dropout of Roma children	4.3 Relevant European and international standards, recommendations and projects
4.1.1 * Multiple disadvantaged families -          Poverty; -          Unemployment[41]; -          Debt; -          Domestic violence, -          Criminality, etc. Within the Roma community in Nieuwegein, there is an increasingly problematic situation in terms of neighbourhood nuisance, criminality, debt accumulation, unemployment, dependence on social benefits and health problems. In Veldhoven, in 2002, almost 100% of the adults were unemployed.	4.2.1 Ø  Policies addressing multi-problems families Both Hungary and the Netherlands conduct policies targeting so-called “multiple-disadvantaged families” or “multi-problems families” which widely cover Roma families but not exclusively (stigmatisation should be avoided). See for example the Wisselgeld/Exchange Money project carried out in Nieuwegein described in this report (page 18). In the Netherlands, secondary schools receive extra funds for staff if a certain percentage of their pupils come from neighbourhoods identified as having multiple poverty-related problems (see page 10 of the report). In Hungary, in addition to the Tanoda programmes (see page 20), Integrative Pedagogical System (IPS) were designed to create equal opportunities for children with multiple disadvantages in local pedagogical practice (see page 11). Ø  Social benefits and incentives to attend schools (free textbooks, free meals, priority given for accessing social housing, etc.) The group of experts had a long discussion about the pros and cons of linking social benefits and school attendance. Some of the members of the delegation were of the opinion that providing too high social benefits might be counterproductive and could result in keeping Roma as socially-supported people. In Veldhoven, the fact that Roma parents who are sending regularly their children to school might be given priority when requesting access to social housing, was considered by some of the experts as a positive incentive. Others expressed doubts about this practice as it does not reflect equal treatment policies.	4.3.1 Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights’ publication “Human Rights of Roma and Travellers in Europe: o    Page 112: “Many of the vulnerability factors such as domestic violence, high school dropout rates, homelessness or being in state care affect children and youth exclusively or disproportionately.” International guidelines for Roma inclusion policies include the following reference texts: CoE CM/Rec(2008)5 on policies for Roma and/or travellers in Europe The Strasbourg Declaration on Roma adopted at the High Level Meeting on Roma (Strasbourg, 20 October 2010); The Declaration of the Summit of Mayors on Roma (Strasbourg, 22 September 2011); §  The OSCE Action Plan on Improving the Situation of Roma and Sinti (Warsaw, 2003); The European Union Council conclusions on an EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies up to 2020 (adopted in Brussels in May 2011).
4.1.2 * Lack of willingness from Roma parents to enrol their children in school or to ensure their regular presence Some Roma parents and community leaders may feel annoyed that Roma children get more educated than they are. * Low level of education of Roma parents Roma parents who have a low level of education do not necessarily see the importance for their children to be educated. They have difficulties in helping their children at home with their homework. * Lack of dialogue between Roma parents and the school Roma parents are not always involved in the school environment and parents’ associations. * Mistrust in the education system and fear of assimilation (see “fear of assimilation” under 4.1.8 below) Roma parents may fear that children going to “gadgé” schools will lose Romani cultural identity and traditions.	4.2.2- Ø  Mediators / bridge-builders / intermediaries The group of experts agreed that this was very helpful to increase dialogue between the Roma parents, on the one hand, and school institutions/teachers, on the other hand. Mediators also increase school enrolment. This practice exists in Hungary (mediators) Spain (mediators and social workers) and Sweden (bridge-builders) and in a limited number of municipalities in the Netherlands, such as Veldhoven (where municipal social workers are called “intermediaries”). Experts from partner countries highlighted the added-value of mediators of Roma origin. Ø  Inclusion and participation of Roma parents in school activities/environment See the Promociona programme in Spain (pages 21-22). The team of experts agreed that - alongside law enforcement measures - more investment is needed to increase dialogue with Roma parents and involvement of Roma parents in school activities. In Sweden, schools need to be flexible and find ways to adapt their teaching as far as possible to the needs of each pupil. At least once a term, the pupil, teacher and the pupil's guardian meet to discuss progress in school and how the pupil is feeling. This is called development dialogue. The dialogue should give an all-round view of the pupil's learning and social development. During the dialogue, discussion can cover how the school can support and stimulate the pupil's development. The dialogue gives the pupil and guardian the opportunity to influence, and take responsibility, for the pupil's schooling. Ø  Fines and work penalties for Roma parents who do not send their children to school The team of experts and Dutch interlocutors in Veldhoven agreed that fines remain usually unpaid and are not a suitable answer as it increases family debt and poverty. A work penalty on Saturdays for Roma parents as practised in Veldhoven could be a better option provided it does not systematically result in associating “work” with “punishment” for the families concerned. Ø  Taking the children out of their family and bringing them to foster parents or a residential institute This does not seem to be a valid response to the problem. See e.g. the positions of Amnesty International and of the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights on the matter[42].	4.3.2 Council of Europe CM Recommendation No R (2000) 4 on the education of Roma/Gypsy children in Europe: o    Para. 5 of Chapter 1. “Structures” on mediators, inclusion of parents and measures to combat illiteracy. o    Para. 20 of Chapter V. “Consultation and co-ordination” on the use of mediators. §  Council of Europe Recommendation CM/Rec(2009)4 on the education of Roma and Travellers in Europe o    Para. 15 of Chapter II. “Structures and provision for access to education” on mediators/assistants. §  Council of Europe/European Commission programme “Intercultural Mediation for Roma Communities” (ROMED)[43]: During the 1st phase of the ROMED training programme launched in 2011, 37 trainers and 533 mediators; mostly but not exclusively of Roma origin, from 16 member states (including Hungary and Spain) were trained. §  United Nations International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) on the role of teaching assistants/mediators in reducing absenteeism and assisting communication between schools and families.
4.1.3 * Lack of perspectives on the regular labour market Some Roma parents and teenagers question the time invested in education if, at the end, educated Roma remain unemployed. The Netherlands also encounters problems with stateless Roma[44]. The economic crisis, but also the low level of education of Roma and discrimination in accessing jobs and internships, particularly affect Roma’s access to the labour market. Experts considered that the employment of Roma is often the weak point of many inclusion strategies. Beside education and housing programmes, they recommend that a complex training and employment programme should be developed to increase opportunities for Roma on the regular labour market.	4.2.3 Ø  Job-coaches Veldhoven provides an example of jobcoaching for Roma teenagers between 16 and 18 years old. Ø  Validation of professional skills See the experience conducted in France for example and mentioned during the visit. Ø  Adult and vocational training In Hungary, the Arany János Talent Fostering Boarding Facility, launched in 2007, is a Vocational School Programme for Students with Multiple Disadvantages launched in 2007. See 3.2.3 of this report regarding legislation in Spain on vocational training programmes for students over 16 who have not graduated compulsory education and Promociona on pages 21-22.	4.3.3 §  Council of Europe CM/Rec(2009)4 on the education of Roma and Travellers in Europe o  Para. 12 of Chapter II. “Structures and provision for access to education” on access to vocational training and validation of knowledge acquired by experience. §  Council of Europe CM Recommendation No R (2000) 4 on the education of Roma/Gypsy children in Europe: o  See Preamble: “educational policies in favour of Roma children should be backed up by an active adult education and vocational education policy”.
4.1.4 * Lower expectation from teachers as concerns Roma children’s education The Swedish expert signalled that teachers in Sweden tend to have lower expectations from Roma children attending school, which also sometimes results in insufficient efforts to address school absence. * Lack of knowledge of Roma culture by teachers and public institutions Intermediaries (municipal social workers) in Veldhoven, explained that several public institutions dealing with children and youth were not familiar with Roma culture and problems encountered by the families.	4.2.4 Ø  Training of teachers In Hungary the on-the-job training of teachers participating in the education of the Roma minority is subsidised annually via tenders. Curriculum development and the development of programme packages may be implemented as part of the SROP sub-measure 3.4.1. Ø  Close co-operation between mediators, schools, public institutions and families The experience conducted in Veldhoven and Nieuwegein shows that closer co-operation between various municipal social workers, public institutions and Roma families help overcome barriers and build a relation of trust.	4.3.4 Memorandum of the MG-S-ROM for the Committee of Ministers entitled Strategic elements of education policy for Roma children in Europe [MG-S-ROM(97)11]: “Majority-minority relations, so often hostile and based on stereotyped and prejudiced views of Roma people, have helped to maintain the disadvantaged position of Roma in society. Unequal status, discrimination and social exclusion which were, and are, characteristic of these hostile relations, have had a direct and an indirect impact on schooling, creating a school environment in which Roma children feel alienated. […]”. Council of Europe Pestalozzi programme[45]which offers training on inter-culturalism to educational professionals.
4.1.5 * School segregation Although segregation within society and school system is much bigger in Central and Eastern Europe (e.g. Hungary), compared to Western Europe where the education is more inclusive[46], still the distance between Roma and the rest of the Dutch population remains much wider than between other minority groups and the majority in the Netherlands. The same applies in Spain and Sweden. * Lack of (accessible) public transport or documents Lack of available or accessible public transport represents an additional obstacle to Roma, especially in countries where Roma are living far away from city centres. Lack of personal documents is also a serious obstacle[47]. It was not specifically mentioned by the experts during the thematic visit; it might however concern a limited number of children from Roma communities originated from ex-Yugoslavia. * Housing segregation In Hungary, more than 60% of Roma live in a rural environment, mostly in segregated residential areas of in the country’s economically depressed north-eastern and south-western regions. There are some 100 localities which have definitively turned into poor Roma ghettos, while in another 200 localities, this situation will emerge in the near future.	4.2.5 Ø  Legally ban and stop school segregation Despite difficulties in its implementation due to the hostility of schools and local population/authorities, Hungary provides a positive example of anti-segregation legislation in education[48]. Only desegregation projects receive EU and INGO funding. The Netherlands has closed the last Roma-specific school, in Veldhoven, in 2010. Every child is equal, there is no difference in approach by the teacher on ethnic grounds. In Sweden, the Roma strategy is based on human rights, with particular emphasis on the principle of non-discrimination. Ø  Mobile registration units See the good practice of mobile registration units in the Republic of Moldova identified during another CAHROM thematic visit. Ø  Integration in the town  environment The housing policy example  in Veldhoven where the three Roma locations visited by the team of experts were located in the centre of the municipality, at walking distance to schools and sports centres, with a dozen families each to avoid a ghetto-like area, was considered as a good example of integrated housing approach. It is, however, not easily transferrable in Hungary since the size of the Roma population is much higher in most towns and villages.	4.3.5 §  European Court of Human Rights and its case law (see footnote no. 9 of the report). §  CoE CM/Rec(2009)4 on the education of Roma and Travellers in Europe o    Para. 5 of Chapter I. “Principles of policies” §  ECRI General Policy Recommendation no. 13 on combating anti-Gypsyism and discrimination against Roma o    Para 4.d. on putting an end to school segregation. o    Para. 6.B on combatting housing segregation. §  The Roma Education Fund (REF) specifically addresses the issue of educational integration and mainstream educational inclusion of Roma children, as opposed to segregated schooling. CoE Commissioner for Human Rights report “Human Rights of Roma and Travellers in Europe: segregation of Roma and Traveller children into separate and/or substandard education is the most widespread violation with respect to the right to education[49].
4.1.6 * Lack of Roma children in pre-school Around 83 per cent of all children between one and five years of age in Sweden attend pre-school (2011 data). However, there are indications that very few Roma children attend pre-school, which places them at a disadvantage in later school years. * Lack of knowledge of the national language among Roma children In the Netherlands all children are educated to become a part of the Dutch society. Every child is supposed to speak and understand Dutch, when the school curriculum starts at the age of four. In addition, Dutch children have a larger vocabulary when entering pre-school (around 2.000 words). As Romanes is only spoken and Dutch words do not have systematically an equivalent in Romanes, the Roma children start with a language disadvantage which is hard to catch up.	4.2.6 Ø  Pre-school attendance In the Netherlands, a compensatory policy is in place for disadvantaged primary school pupils. Municipalities receive €.260 million in government funds for this purpose every year. They are required to use these funds to finance pre-school education, bridging classes and summer school, and have the option of organising other activities aimed at improving children’s language skills. Over the course of the next few years, an additional €.100 million will be invested in pre-school education, bridging classes and summer schools. In Hungary, the forms, content and framework of the kindergarten and school education of the Roma minority are regulated in the decrees on kindergarten education of national and ethnic minorities and on school education of national and ethnic minorities. The purpose of kindergarten education is to prepare children for a successful entry into the school system by consciously building on the differences and similarities between the Roma culture and the majority culture. In 2003, a Pre-school programme was designed in Hungary to increase pre-school attendance of multi-disadvantaged children. In 2009 extra financial support was given to multi-disadvantaged children if parents enrol their children in pre-school at the age of three. In Sweden, the pre-school system is intended for children from the age of one until they start compulsory education. The purpose of pre-school is to stimulate children's development and learning in a secure and caring environment. Pre-school takes a holistic view of children and their needs and is designed so that care, development and learning come together to form a whole. The pre-school class is a voluntary form of school within the state school system. Municipalities are required to offer children places in pre-school classes from the autumn term of the year in which a child turns six until the child starts his/her compulsory schooling. Today approximately 96 per cent of all six-year-olds go to pre-school classes. The aim of education in pre-school classes is to stimulate pupils development and learning and to prepare them for their future school career. Ø  Awareness-raising campaign for (pre-) school enrolment Spain provides a good example with the awareness raising campaign “De mayor quiero ser…” (When I grow up, I want to be…), launched in Madrid on the 30th of September 2010 by Fundación Secretariado Gitano (FSG) to promote Roma education among Roma parents as a key aspect of social inclusion.	4.3.6 §  Council of Europe CM/Rec(2009)4 on the education of Roma and Travellers in Europe o    Para. 10 of the Appendix states that: “Attendance of preschool education for Roma and Traveller children should be encouraged, under equal conditions as for other children, and enrolment in preschool education should be promoted if necessary by providing specific support measures.” §  UNICEF/REF/OSI Overview report “Roma early Childhood inclusion” o    See chapter 2 key message no. 5 “National kindergarten and primary education systems are failing to recruit, include and educate Roma children”. §  OSCE-ODIHR Report Mapping of participation of Roma and Sinti Children in Early education processes within the OSCE Region (Warsaw, November 2010)[50] o    See pages 7 and 27 of the report on awareness-raising campaigns as a tool to outreach Roma and Sinti parents and communities and increase school enrolment.
4.1.7 * Difficulties to enrol in some classes due to age limit or learning difficulties In some cases, the age limit to enrol in some classes affects Roma children[51]. Some Roma children have reportedly been refused enrolment into the appropriate grade level because they were too old, or children have to take an examination, which represents a considerable challenge for children who have never attended school. An insufficient level of education makes it more difficult for Roma students to follow.	4.2.7 Ø  Extra-curricular activities In Hungary organisations under the TANODA network are providing a wide range of after-school, extra-curricular activities for Roma and other disadvantaged students. The activities serve to strengthen educational achievements and attainment levels amongst students, while engaging parents and communities in the educational process (see the report). Among the preventive programmes carried out in Spain Promociona can be considered as a good practice. It has been described in this report (see pages 21-22). Ø  Catch-up schools Although the name is somewhat misleading, the primary “special school” De Evenaar that the CAHROM team of experts visited in  Nieuwegein is not a segregated school, nor a school for physically or mentally disabled students. It includes children, Roma and non-Roma, who have learning difficulties, children with neuro-linguistics problems like ADHD or Asperger, often coming from families with violence, stress, etc. The main purpose is, through special attention from teachers, to help the child catching up education and re-integrate the regular schooling system. The admission to that special education is decided by an independent commission which decides based on several tests (which are not purely written tests). There is no ethnic criterium.	4.3.7 §  Council of Europe CM/Rec(2009)4 on the education of Roma and Travellers in Europe o  Para. 11 of Chapter II. “Structures and provision for access to education on special provisions for preventing school drop out and stimulating the return to school of those who did not finish compulsory education.
4.1.8 * Lack of knowledge of the Romani language among Roma children, lack of Romani language teachers and lack of Romani language textbooks These issues were essentially raised by Sweden, where Roma children have the possibility to be taught in their own language. However, there is a belief that many Roma children choose not to study their mother tongue. They may not tell people that they are Roma because they fear harassment or discrimination, and thus do not obtain the extra tuition in their mother tongue to which they are entitled[52]. Mother tongue teaching does not always work as much as one might hope, either. There is a lack of teachers of Romani, few Roma pupils choose to study their mother tongue and there is a lack of educational material/textbooks in Romani. In the Netherlands, this is not an issue since most of the Roma speak Dutch. According to the authorities, there is no demand for Romani. The current policy of the Government is not to favour the teaching of minority languages. There is also no such demand among Roma parents in Spain, since Spanish Roma do not speak Romani any longer. * Absence of recognition of Roma’s culture and historical presence in school curricula This is an argument against school enrolment often put forward by Roma parents who are afraid of assimilation to the culture of the majority. There is generally-speaking a low level of awareness in schools among teachers about the Roma people, their historical presence and contribution to national and European culture and history. This “invisibility” is also reflected in educational material and textbooks.	4.2.8 Ø  Teaching and promoting the Romani language Several initiatives, now included in the Swedish Roma Strategy, have been launched in Sweden to improve the situation, even though the Swedish expert recognised that more needs to be done. The Pécs Gandhi Foundation Grammar School and Boarding Facility, which was established in 1994, is Hungary’s, and also Europe’s, first Roma national minority institution offering final examinations. As part of the national minority programmes, students have the opportunity to acquaint themselves with both languages spoken by the Roma in Hungary, Beash and Lovári. In the course of the education of Roma studies, students familiarise themselves with Roma traditions and culture, learn about the history, ethnography and folk art of the Roma, the works of Roma authors, etc. Ø  Teaching of Romani culture and history at school Sweden provides a good example having translated the Council of Europe factsheets on Roma history into Swedish. In school curricula, one of the overall knowledge goals is that students must get acquainted with national minorities’ culture, language and history. In Hungary, in the abovementioned Pécs Gandhi Foundation Grammar School and Boarding Facility, students familiarise themselves with Roma traditions and culture, learn about the history, ethnography and folk art of the Roma, the works of Roma authors, etc.	4.3.8 §  Memorandum of the MG-S-ROM for the Committee of Ministers entitled Strategic elements of education policy for Roma children in Europe [MG-S-ROM(97)11]: “Policies pursued by the State authorities toward Roma populations throughout their history in Europe and aimed at solving the so-called ‘Gypsy problem’, have meant so often, the eradication of Roma identity and life-style. The school institution and the schooling of Roma children thus became a central means of achieving the goals of assimilation.” §  Council of Europe CM/Rec(2009)4 on the education of Roma and Travellers in Europe o  Para. 25 of Chapter IV. “European exchanges, sharing experience and good practices”: “The materials elaborated in the Council of Europe project “Education for Roma Children in Europe” (2002-2009), such as the collection of pedagogical fact sheets on Roma history, the teaching kit, the guide for Roma school mediators or assistants, and the reference framework for educational policies in favour of Roma, Sinti and Travellers, as well as other tools developed by other Council of Europe sectors, such as the framework curriculum for the Romani language or the kit for combating prejudices and stereotypes that was produced in the framework of the Dosta! awareness-raising campaign, should be widely disseminated and used in implementing the above-mentioned provisions.”
4.1.9 * Early marriages of Roma girls, child exploitation and trafficking The drop out of Roma girls from schools is a common phenomenon throughout Europe, but is more specific to Roma traditional communities. Roma parents may fear that girls go out with gadge boys. Girls may be asked to work in the household, and boys to assist fathers in their work. In the Netherlands, there are few boys and even fewer girls who even embark upon secondary education and 80% of those who do so fail to complete their studies. In both Veldhoven and Nieuwegein the drop out rate, especially of Roma young girls, is almost the same, although the groups of Roma are different (Roma in Veldhoven are already living in the Netherlands for many years; whilst Roma in Nieuwegein only live in the Netherlands for just more than 30 years. The first generation is still there and has its own influence on their children and grandchildren). It might be part of Romani culture and Roma youth may serve as a source of income for poor families, still the Dutch authorities consider that selling girls for a dowry is human trafficking and violates human rights and children’s rights. In Spain, there is also a substantial drop-out of Roma girls in secondary education.	4.2.9 Ø  Use of educated Roma as role models The situation in Hungary where Roma are represented in various state, regional and local institutions and in Spain, where Roma organisations are very active in the field and manage EU-funded projects represented a vivid contrast with the situation in the Netherlands. In the latter, it seems impossible for the moment to find good Roma-role models who have completed their education. To increase school attendance among Roma children, the previous government made €.0.6 million available to the Platform for Dutch Roma Municipalities of the Association of Dutch Municipalities in 2010. These municipalities used the funds to finance projects aimed at encouraging Roma children/Roma girls to attend school. Ø  Awareness-raising activities on the risks of trafficking The thematic group of experts agreed that teaching Roma and non-Roma students at the beginning of secondary schools about the risks of trafficking and prostitution could be an option. Ø  Develop a European approach towards the exploitation of Roma children The Dutch experts of the team felt that, in addition to anti-discrimination and social inclusion approaches, there was a need for a European approach in the field of the exploitation of Roma children, especially in relation to early marriages of Roma girls.	4.3.9 §  ERRC/PiN152 study[53]: vulnerability factors of Roma to trafficking include “structural forms of ethnic and gender discrimination, poverty and social exclusion which result in low educational achievement, high levels of unemployment, usury, growing up in state care, domestic violence affecting predominantly women and children and substance abuse.” §  OSCE and Council of Europe experience on training anti-trafficking (Roma) mediators[54]. §  Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights’ publication “Human Rights of Roma and Travellers in Europe o    Chapter 5 Roma and trafficking in human beings §  Council of Europe Action against trafficking in human beings (GRETA)[55]. §  Council of Europe Strategy for the Rights of the Child and campaign Building a Europe and with children which both promote children's rights and the protection of children from violence[56]
4.1.10 * Lack of political will and interest at national and local levels to improve the situation , lack of visibility of state/local action towards Roma In the Netherlands there is still a need to confront municipalities and national authorities with Roma-related problems (hence the deliberate choice to attract national attention through the topic of Roma children’s exploitation). While in Nieuwegein the policy towards Roma is highly debated in the city council, in Veldhoven, on the contrary, actions are kept as discreet as possible to avoid protest by the majority population. Due to the lack of a national Roma policy, Dutch municipalities are free to choose to invest or not in Roma habitants. As a result there is no homogeneous Roma policy and the approach is different in every municipality. * The negative perception of Roma The image of Roma is very bad and unfortunately a number of Roma people portrayed in the press answer to that image. Successful stories of integrated Roma are not visible.	4.2.10 Ø  Ensure greater co-operation at all levels and need for European guidelines on Roma policies Although Roma inclusion policies should take into consideration national and local circumstances, some of the experts felt that there was a need for a European concerted policy towards Roma that would provide guidelines to national governments. Experts from partner countries were of the opinion that, while both the Wisselgeld/Exchange programme in Nieuwegein and the policy conducted in Veldhoven were local examples of an integrated approach, involving various policy areas and actors (education, health, housing, employment, security, justice, etc.), the Netherlands should consider adopting a national Roma comprehensive strategy as it would encourage widely spread initiatives and not be limited to the good will of local authorities. Ø  Raise awareness among the general public and local authorities The example of Stockholm municipality which speaks and promotes Roma in its municipal publications or in Swedish or Roma press is a good one. This is a tool to raise awareness on the benefits of Roma policies.	4.3.10 See reference texts for European and International guidelines for Roma inclusion policies at 4.3.1. o  CoE CM/Rec(2008)5 on policies for Roma and/or travellers in Europe §  See Chapter 8 on Monitoring and Evaluation. §  The European Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion to be set up by the Council of Europe shortly after summer 2012 could be used to increase awareness and cooperation among regional and local authorities and bring together existing national networks of municipalities working for Roma inclusion. §  The Council of Europe Dosta! awareness-raising campaign addressing prejudice and stereotypes towards Roma can be used at national and local levels to overcome “mental” barriers. None of the four countries covered by this report have made full use of this campaign so far.
4.1.11 * Lack of data to assess the impact of educational policies for Roma pupils/students In the Netherlands, there is a lack of knowledge about Roma living in the country due to the impossibility of registration on ethnic ground and, generally-speaking, by a lack of interest on the part of authorities and the Dutch population. As registration based on ethnicity is undesirable and prohibited, the lack of numbers also makes it more difficult to address Roma issues on the political agenda. In the meantime political awareness has been raised at national level, but at local level this still remains a struggle. * Lack of funding Generally-speaking states or municipalities lack funding for their inclusion policies. The current economic crisis makes it even more difficult to attract funding.	4.2.11 Ø  Need to collect data and assess the impact of educational policies Some of the experts from partner countries considered that the Platform for Dutch Roma Municipalities was best placed to design an action plan in order to collect information and data at the local level with a view evaluating the impact of policies being conducted, as well as the financial and human investment. In the Netherlands, the number of people of Roma origin is relatively small which makes an individual approach possible. Investment per Roma family is bigger than in countries such as Hungary where the Roma population is much larger. Ø  Use of EU (structural) funds Spain provides a very good example for joining funds from European, national, regional and local levels. Hungary has made significant efforts in recent years for the increased enforcement of equal opportunities in education[57].	4.3.11 §  Council of Europe CM Recommendation No R (2000) 4 on the education of Roma/Gypsy children in Europe: o  Para. 18 of Chapter IV [58]on the evaluation of the results of educational policies for Roma children. §  ODIHR Report Mapping of participation of Roma and Sinti Children in Early education processes within the OSCE Region[59] §  Roma Education Fund impact assessment study on education of Roma children in Hungary. §  The EURoma Network[60] is a EU Network, made of 12 EU Member States, determined to promote the use of Structural Funds to enhance the effectiveness of policies targeting the Roma and to promote their social inclusion.

Appendix 1:

Formal invitation letter from the Mayor of Nieuwegein and Chair of the Dutch Platform for Roma Municipalities

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Appendix 2:

Programme of the thematic visit to Nieuwegein and Veldhoven, The Netherlands, 12-14 March 2012

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Appendix 3:

List of participants of the thematic visit to Nieuwegein and Veldhoven, The Netherlands, 12-14 March 2012