Ethnic and linguistic diversity: the case of young Roma children in Europe

Sarah KlausIliana Sarafian

Margareta MatacheDavid GregerArthur Ivatts

Radosveta Dimitrova

Purpose of the Session

Highlight the context and conditions of young Roma children and families in Europe

Consider the risk and protective factors impacting young Roma children

Learn about the context in the Czech Republic through the Roma Early Childhood Initiative (RECI) report

Understand the research and policy challenges in Europe to full inclusion of young Roma children.

Context of Roma in Europe Europe’s largest ethnic minority (10-12 million)

Few than 1/3 are employed

20% never enroll into school

8-12 years shorter life expectancy and high infant mortality

More likely to be evicted as a community than any other Europeans

Roma Participation in ECE

Albania

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bulgaria

Croatia

Czech Republic

France

Greece

Hungary

Italy

Macedonia

Moldova

Montenegro

Poland

Portugal

Romania

Serbia

Slovakia

Spain

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Preschool attendence rate (percentage) of children aged three to entry to formal schooling (age 5 or 6 years)

National Averages

Roma

Sources: UNDP-World Bank Roma survey 2011, UNICEF database 2012 for school year 2010/2011, European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights survey 2011.

Roma Children in Institutional Care

% of Roma children in institutional care

Share of Roma in the total population

63%

10%

41%

3%

66%

7%

10.40%

0.23%

28%

9%

83%

9%

Bulgaria

Czech Republic

Hungary

Italy

Romania

Slovakia

Source: ERRC, BHC et al (2011).

ResourcesBennett, J. (2012a). ECEC for children from disadvantaged backgrounds: findings from a European literature review and two case studies: European Comission Directorate-General for Education and CultureBruggemann, C. (2012). Roma education in comparative perspective: Findings from the UNDP/World Bank/EC regional Roma survey Roma Inclusion Working Papers. Bratislava: UNDP.ERRC: Dis-interest of the Child: Romani Children and the Hungarian Child Protection System (2007) http://www.errc.org/cms/upload/media/02/F1/m000002F1.pdfERRC, BHC, MSF and Osservazione (2011) Life Sentence: Romani Children in Institutional Care http://www.errc.org/cikk.php?cikk=3902 European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights survey (2011)European Commission (2011) An EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies up to 2020. In t. C. Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions (Ed.), COM(2011) 173. Brussels: European CommissionEuropean Commission (2013)Steps forward in implementing national Roma integration strategies. (COM(2013) 454). Brussels: European Commission.OSI (2010) No Data –No Progress http://www.soros.org/initiatives/roma/articles_publications/publications/no-data-no-progress-20100628/no-data-no-progress-country-reports-20100628.pdfRoma Education Fund. (2013). A good start: mainstreaming the access of disadvantaged Romani children to quality early childhood education and care. Budapest: Roma Education Fund.UNDP/World Bank Roma survey (2011) UNESCO and CoE (2014) Inclusion from the start - Guidelines on inclusive early childhood care and education for Roma children http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0022/002275/227503e.pdfUNICEF (2011) The Right of Roma Children to Education http://www.unicef.org/ceecis/UNICEF_ROE_Roma_Position_Paper_Web.pdfCouncil of Europe. (2010). Statistics. from Council of Europe Roma and Traveller DivisionWorld Bank (2010) Roma Inclusion- an Economic Opportunity for Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Romania and Serbia http://www.romadecade.org/files/downloads/19th%20ISC/Roma%20Policy%20Note%20Exec%20SummaryOct11.pdfWorld Bank (2012) Toward an equal start: Closing the early learning gap for Roma children in Eastern Europe. Washington: World Bank.