Ei-iE

The European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE), EI’s European region, has reacted to an article written by George Soros, the Chairman of Soros Fund Management and of the Open Society Foundations. This article demands better education and employment perspectives for Roma people living in the EU area

“Roma represent more than 20 per cent of new entrants into the labour force in the European Union's newest member states but their living conditions have actually deteriorated since many of them became EU citizens,” Soros wrote in The Guardian, a British national daily newspaper, on 26 November.

There are more than 10 million Roma living in Europe, mostly concentrated in the Balkans and in the European Union's newest member states, especially Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, and Hungary, he explained. Soros deplored that the majority population's attitude towards Roma people has become more hostile almost everywhere in Europe.

Roma facing marginalisation and contempt

Two trends are mutually reinforcing, he noted: marginalisation breeds contempt, and vice versa.

Underlining that the only escape from this trap is investment in education, which would pay enormous social dividends, Soros wrote: “The good news is that we know how to prepare Roma children to be productive members of society. My foundations have been active in educating Roma for more than 25 years. Over that period, we have educated a small cohort of young Roma who retain their identity and yet can break the hostile stereotypes held by those with whom they interact.”

He reminded readers that he had contributed to the establishment of the Roma Education Fund (REF) in 2005, to help national education authorities across the EU improve their performance in educating Roma children. He said REF programmes currently reach more than 100,000 students each year, including more than 1,600 university students who receive scholarships.

The programmes developed by the REF ought to be scaled up by governments, with the help of the EU, and made available to all Roma children in Europe, Soros added.

He acknowledged that the European Commission has played a very helpful role through its structural funds, which cover up to 80 per cent of the additional costs involved in integrating the Roma. Unfortunately, the remaining 20 per cent is difficult to mobilise, owing to widespread anti-Roma sentiment throughout Europe, he regretted.

Education and employment vital

To break the negative stereotypes, Roma children must be educated to celebrate and take pride in their Roma heritage. But education is not enough, and the Roma must also be able to find employment, Soros said.

“In fact, Europe's educated Roma are proving every day that the problem is eminently solvable,” he said. “But solving it will take more than a generation, and Europe cannot afford to wait for economic recovery. On the contrary, given the increase in its Roma population, Europe's long-term prosperity depends on reversing current trends – and getting started right away.”

ETUCE: Developing non-discriminatory quality education for Roma children project

“EI/ETUCE and its affiliates oppose all stereotypes and advocate for access to quality education for all,” said Martin Rømer, the Director of EI’s European region, the European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE). “We all also firmly believe that public authorities are responsible for investing in quality public education for all.”

In Europe, more than seven million Roma are in a very difficult situation, he highlighted. Moreover, he noted, in recent decades, the issue of Roma children’s education has been neglected by most governments.

The ETUCE decided to react to this discriminatory situation and submitted a proposal for a project to the European Commission, approved in spring 2004, named Developing non-discriminatory quality education for Roma children.

Working closely together with the teachers’ trade unions in Bulgaria, Slovakia and Hungary on improving the situation for Roma children in education has been a very positive experience for ETUCE, Rømer said.

“Committed union representatives and teachers dedicated to their work and the improvement of the situation for Roma children’s access to education took part in the project,” he said. “This ensured that the project aims and objectives were reached on schedule and in a satisfactory way. Most importantly, the trade unions developed National Action Plans for each country, with concrete suggestions and actions on how to improve the situation of Roma children’s access to quality education.”

The 2007 ETUCE brochure summarising all phases of the project, Developing non-discriminatory quality education for Roma children, is available here

You can download the training manual, ETUCE Project - Developing non-discriminatory quality education for Roma children here; and the Report of the Project Closing Conference: Developing non-discriminatory quality education for Roma children here