Instead of school being a place of learning and development Romani children are in schools that set them up for a future of humiliation and stigma based on their ethnicity.
The discrimination and segregation of children in schools is wrong. It is also prohibited under international human rights law and European Union law.
The good news is that legislation exists in Slovakia to stop this from happening, but unfortunately the government is failing to enforce it despite promises. Join us in calling on the Prime Minister of Slovakia to enforce the law and ensure the prohibition of discrimination and segregation of Roma children is more than empty words on paper.
Celé znění on-line petice, kterou posíláme adresátům.
The end to segregation of Roma children
Equal approach to education for Slovak children
A complex school reform
Dear Minister,
Allow me to turn to you on behalf of Amnesty International Czech Republic and express my deep concern over the ongoing segregation of children in separate schools or clases in Slovakia on the grounds of ethnicity. Specifically, I would like to bring to your attention to the case of the elementary school on Francisciho Street in the town of Levoča. The school operates with several segregated classes designated for Roma children. Segregation on the grounds of ethnicity stands in clear violation of both international, European and national antidiscrimination and human rights legislation. Numerous international and national bodies have expressed their views in this respect, including the Council of Europe, the Ombudsman of Slovakia, and international organisations, among which Amnesty International too raises its voice. So far, Slovak authorities failed to address discrimination within the education system as a systemic failure and have not conformed with repeated appeals brought by international human rights authorities and the European Court of Human Rights, and, now, even their domestic legislation in the light of the groundbreaking court decision in the Šarišské Michaľany case where court stated that placing Roma children into segregated classes violates Slovak antidiscrimination law.
In the light of the above described, I respectfully urge you, Minister, to ensure that:
The segregation of Roma children in separate schools and classes be halted
The right of all Slovakian children to equal access to education be upheld in practice
A complex educational reform be launched and implemented
In the spirit of respect for the basic values of human dignity, freedom, equality, and solidarity, I call on you, Minister, to stand up for the equality in education not only in the case of the Roma children of Levoča, but also all the other segregated pupils in Slovakia.
Thank you for your attention to this important issue.
Yours sincerely
