THE ROMA EDUCATION FUND

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THE ROMA EDUCATION FUND
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Can you believe it!

• Approximately 80 of Roma children in Romania do
  not attend preschool.
• While enrollment in primary education in Romania
  is 93 for the population as a whole, Roma
  children account for approximately 80 of the 7
  who do not attend primary education.
• In Bulgaria, there are 106 schools and
  kindergartens attended exclusively by Roma.
• In one county of Hungary, Roma account for more
  than 90 of students attending schools with
  special education curricula.

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Can you believe it!

• In Slovakia, the share of Roma children reported
  in special schools exceeds that in regular
  schools by a factor of almost 14, with
  approximately 20 of Romani children initially
  enrolled in mainstream primary education leaving
  for special education between grades 1 and 2.
• In Bulgaria, Roma children account for 20.6 of
  children entering primary school, but only 7.2
  of all students in grade 8.
• In Serbia more than 30 school aged Roma are not
  in school and 50 of Roma children do not
  continue primary education beyond 4th grade
• In Macedonia 43 of Roma children do not complete
  8 years of primary education

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What is the Roma Education Fund

• Created in the framework of the Decade of Roma
  inclusion as a Swiss and a Hungarian Foundation (
  May 12, 2005 and February 17, 2006 respectively)
• Office in Budapest
• Country Facilitators in 5 countries
• Included in all the main international forum
  discussing Roma inclusion council of Europe, EU
  commission, UNESCO)
• REF is establishing strong partnerships with
  Western European Roma organizations and networks
  (e.g Gitanos in Spain)
• 70 of the staff are Roma

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Objectives of the Roma Education Fund

• Closing the education outcome gap between Roma
  and Non-Roma
• Influence institutional changes in education
  systems and policy reforms for Roma inclusion
• Foster Roma participation
• Document and disseminate best practices on both
  policy reforms and programs

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REF Financing (2005-2007)

• 2005-2007 18 million Euro committed
• OSI Founding member ( 35 of financing
• World Bank Founding member 16 of financing)
• Bilaterals (Sweden, Switzerland, Netherlands,
  UK, Germany, Hungary, Spain, Greece, Ireland,
  Slovenia)
• Network of European Foundations (Rememberance
  and Future Foundation, Freudenberg, Evens,Barrow
  Caldbury, Mott)
• Private sector and individuals (eg. Putumayo
  World Music Company)

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Programs managed by the Roma Education Fund

• Grants for projects and programs
• Reimbursable grants for facilitating access to EU
  Structural Funds
• Capacity Building and policy development program
• Communication and advocacy program
• University scholarships for Roma students

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Grants

• 75 projects supported by REF grants in 12
  countries (12 million Euro committed and 7
  million disbursed)
• 1.7 years in average length. 145,000 Euro average
  size
• Cover all levels of education
• Implemented by NGOs, Governments and public
  institutions
• Cover pilots, programs for scaling-up good
  projects and research/policy development
• Elaborated mechanisms of field monitoring, with
  very careful follow-up on finance and procurement
  and rating system

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Capacity building, policy development and
communication

• Country analysis and REF working directions 8
  countries
• Study on expected long term budgetary benefits of
  Roma inclusion in education
• Policy note on Serbia pre-school
• 6 other studies and evaluations under way
• High demand for policy papers and advice and
  exchange of experience
• Large conference in Budapest 450 participants
  from 25 countries
• Intense policy dialogue with officials

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Targeting European Union Structural Funds

• Pilot reimbursable grant mechanism ( 25 grants)
• TA to agencies managing Structural Funds
• Commenting on National Action Plans and other
  national strategies and programs
• Building up capacity of Roma NGOs to access
  Structural Funds
• Lobbying national agencies to create specific
  financial lines for Education of Roma

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Scholarships

• Taking responsibility for Roma Scholarship
  Program created by the Open Society Institute
  (800 scholarships a year in 15 countries in
  accredited universities)
• Law and Humanities Scholarship program financed
  by the German Remembrance, Responsibility and
  Future Foundation in Moldova, Poland, Russia and
  Ukraine) 56 scholarships a year with intensive
  mentoring and support
• New Roma Health Scholarship Program to be
  launched in 2008

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Major challenges

• Lack of access to pre-school education
• Segregation in Roma only schools
• Lack of a multicultural and inclusive approaches
  to education
• Scandalous system of Roma oriented to special
  schools for mentally disabled
• Weak economic support to students in secondary
  and university education
• Lack of adequately trained teachers
• Poor monitoring of discrimination cases

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Vision for the future

• Priority on evaluation and country monitoring
• Strengthen policy advice and participatory
  learning
• Focus on scaling up and make a national impact
• Advocacy to maintain commitment
• Show that success are common in Roma Education
  and that solution exist

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Vision for the future

• EU, REF partnership
• Leverage structural funds in EU countries
• Expanding to other countries in order to include
  more diverse experience
• Expanding partnerships Gitanos, Research
  institutions, Brookings, OECD, Council of Europe
• Strengthen REF Office