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Romani children still face discrimination at schools in the Czech Republic, and continue to be overrepresented in schools and classes for pupils with “mild mental disabilities”.

The Czech government has introduced some reforms in the education system. It has, for example, changed the name of these schools from “special schools”, with its accompanying stigma. But the children remain segregated, in what are called “practical schools”, or into separate classes in mainstream schools. There, they are taught a less advanced curriculum and have very remote possibilities of integrating into mainstream schools or of advancing beyond compulsory education.

This report examines four schools ina Roma-populated area of Ostrava and demonstrates that discrimination against Roma continues. Amnesty International calls on the Czech government to take their schools reform much further. The education system should prioritize school desegregation and end the discriminatory placement of Romani children in “practical schools” and classes for pupils with “mild mental disabilities”. At the same time, the inherent discrimination in the Czech education system should be addressed by providing more support for Romani children to enter and remain in the mainstream elementary school system.

Index: EUR 71/003/2009
Date published: 13/01/2010

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