ZAGREB, April 23 (Hina) - Jadranka Huljev, an assistant to the Croatian Education and Sports Minister in charge of minorities, said on Tuesday that the ministry had not yet received any information on a lawsuit 57 Romany children from
Medjimurje County filed for having been "placed in separate Romany classes, with shorter curricula".
ZAGREB, April 23 (Hina) - Jadranka Huljev, an assistant to the
Croatian Education and Sports Minister in charge of minorities,
said on Tuesday that the ministry had not yet received any
information on a lawsuit 57 Romany children from Medjimurje County
filed for having been "placed in separate Romany classes, with
shorter curricula". #L#
Cakovec Municipal Court president Jasna Vehtersbah-Stojan last
Saturday confirmed having received the complaint. The 57 Romany
children sued the Education and Sports Ministry, Medjimurje
County, and several primary schools in the county claiming they
illegally organised classes for Romany children in separate rooms
and with shortened curricula.
"We never tolerated the segregation of children based on their
nationality. We grant such a permission only for classes which are
held in the language of a national minority," Huljev said, adding
that the large number of Romany children was the reason for classes
which are composed exclusively of Romany children.
"According to a list of pupils who in the school year 2000/2001
enrolled first grade, there were so many Romany children that each
class simply had to consist exclusively of Romany children," Huljev
said.
The Education Ministry did not conduct segregation and
discrimination in the four primary schools, Huljev said, adding
that the stand of the Romany community on the matter was not
unanimous either.
(hina) rml sb