Save the Children UK Starts Campaign to Enrol Roma Children in School

nvo.ba

26 May 2006

According to the Denied a Future? 2001-2006: The Right to Education for Roma Children in B&H survey, published by Save the Children UK in April 2006, there are still Roma communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina in which not a single child is included in the elementary education.

The same research finds that some factors contributing to increased enrollment of Roma children include the positive views of the parents and information about the enrollment procedures and, on the other hand, support by education authorities, the schools and the society in general.

Based on this findings, Save the Children UK, under its "Improved Approach to Education of Roma Children in B&H" project (cofinanced by the European Commission and Save the Children UK), started a one-month campaign to enrol Roma children in elementary schools in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In May 2006, in 27 locations in B&H cities with largest Roma populations (Sarajevo, Tuzla, Banja Luka, Zenica, Bijeljina, Prijedor, Mostar and Modrica) jumbo posters will be posted with the messages: "First Step to the Future � School Desk: Let us become pupils!" and "School for every child � every child to the school: Support us so we can study!". All messages are bilingual, i.e. in addition to BHS, they are written in Roma language.

Also, 1,500 smaller posters with the same messages were printed to be exhibited in the schools, the municipal authorities, social work centres and NGOs that work on promotion of enrollment in project locations in Modrica and Vukosavlje in RS, in Sarajevo and in a number of locations in Tuzla Canton, which holds the greatest Roma population in the country.

The ultimate goal of the campaign is to raise the awareness of this problem with the Roma parents and the community in general, and to increase the number of Roma children that attent school. The eduction is a factor that will enable the Roma children to improve the quality of living and to contribute to general improvement of situation of Roma in B&H. Bosnian society ought to act quickly and support the inclusion of Roma children in the education system, having in mind that each year we missed means another lost generation.