Indicator history

Significant efforts have been made by the state in developing strategies and implementing measures to improve conditions for inclusion of Roma children in educational system and also for adult Roma to achieve formal education, especially since 2004 and EU membership of Slovenia. In 2004 the national strategy was developed and updated in 2011, including critical assessment of the situation and the system, but also providing recommendations for adequate measures.

The measures include financial support to schools with  Roma students to cover cost of additional classes and assistance to Roma students, to cover costs of transport, handbooks and meals for them; it is also allowed to schools to form classes with smaller number of students than it is established with general standars (to allow teachers to work more with Roma students during the classes); the position of Roma assistant to teachers have been introduced at the beginning as an experiment, (to help teachers in communication with Roma children) without clear role, but gradually the position gained formal status.

Various research and civil society organisations have developed, mostly with the support of EU funds (partly also with the support of the Open Society Foundations, especially in late 1990s), number of projects to provide support to schools and kindergartens with training courses, educational tools etc., but also to provide support to Roma chidlren and Roma community in learning Slovenian language and developing skills for integration in the school system. Number of campaigns and public awareness initiatives have been simultaneously developed against discrimination of Roma in education and other areas. Critical assessments of the situation with Roma inclusion in education have been done by non-governmental organisations, contributing to policy changes. Summer camps and similar initiatives to empower young Roma for participation in educational system and develop own talents have been organised by Roma associations and other non-governmental organisations.

In 2007 the Ministry of Education have also developed a strategy for inclusion of children with migrant background in education, identifying goals and measures. Among them are additional Slovenian language classes provided to children with migrant background in schools for which schools receive funds from the state. In 2011 the Guidelines for better integration of children with migrant background in the educational system in Slovenia have been developed by the Institute for Education (Zavod za šolstvo) of the Republic of Slovenia with detailed instructions for schools which measures and values to introduce and promote.

Some non-governmental organisations such as the Slovenian Philanthropy work with children and youth with migrant background, assisting them in the process of integration in the educational system and in the society, but also with relevant institutions to improve assessibility of the system for children and youth with migrant background. Such NGOs for their projects gain financial support from various state bodies, EU funds etc.

Sources

Strategy for education of Roma in Slovenia, Ministry of Education, 2004, http://www.mss.gov.si/si/solstvo/razvoj_solstva/projekti/enake_moznosti/#c842. Date of access: 10.1.2012.

Addition to Strategy for education of Roma in Slovenia, Ministry of Education, 2011, http://www.mss.gov.si/fileadmin/mss.gov.si/pageuploads/podrocje/razvoj_solstva/projekti/Strategija_Romi_dopolnitev_2011.pdf. Date of access: 10.1.2012.

Amnesty International Report on Education of Roma Children in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Slovenia, 2006, http://www.humanrightspoint.si/files/att/roma/Roma%20report%20BiH%20CRO%20SLO%20FINAL.pdf. Date of access: 10.1.2012.

Amnesty International Slovenia Report, 2010, Amnesty International Slovenia Report, 2010, http://www.amnesty.org/en/region/slovenia/report-2010. Date of access: 10.1.2012.

Albina Necak Luk and Sonja Novak Lukanovic: "Inclusion of Roma Children into Education in Slovenia: The Language Competence and Culture Dimensions", The Open Education Journal, 4/2011, http://benthamscience.com/open/toeduj/articles/V004/SI0130TOEDUJ/164TOEDUJ.pdf. Date of access: 10.1.2012.

Program "Migrations", The Slovenian Philanthropy, http://www.filantropija.org/filantropija.asp?FolderId=129. Date of access: 11.1.2012.

Strategy for inclusion of children and students with migrant background in the educational system in Slovenia, Ministry of Education, 2007. http://www.mss.gov.si/si/solstvo/razvoj_solstva/projekti/enake_moznosti/#c843. Date of access: 10.1.2012.

Assessment of the situation with inclusion of children and students with migrant background in the educational system in Slovenia, Slovenian Philanthropy-Association for the Promotion of Volunteering, http://www.filantropija.org/library/includes/file.asp?FileId=79. Date of access: 10.1.2012.