ZAGREB, April 25 (Hina) - The "Romany for the Romany of Croatia" association does not support complaints filed on behalf of fifty-seven Romany children from Medjimurje County against the Ministry of Education and Sports, Medjimurje
County and several primary schools from the county, the association's president Bajro Bajric said at a press conference on Thursday.
ZAGREB, April 25 (Hina) - The "Romany for the Romany of Croatia"
association does not support complaints filed on behalf of fifty-
seven Romany children from Medjimurje County against the Ministry
of Education and Sports, Medjimurje County and several primary
schools from the county, the association's president Bajro Bajric
said at a press conference on Thursday. #L#
Bajric explicitly claims that there is no segregation in Medjimurje
primary schools.
There are around 5,000 Romany in Medjimurje County and the number of
Romany children in the schools is higher than the number of children
of other nationalities.
Bajric mentioned one example - that of the "accused" Kursanec
Primary School, which is attended by a total of 400 pupils, of whom
190 are Romany. There are 221 pupils in the lower classes, of whom
141 are Romany. If exclusively Romany classes do exist, it is due to
the large number of Romany children, Bajric explained.
Attending the press conference, which was organised by the
association, was also an advisor on minority groups at the
Education Ministry, Jadranka Huljev, who denounced claims in a
report by the Ombudsman that the "Ministry of Education and Sport is
acting defensively".
"The Ministry has never acted defensively with regard to
segregation and discrimination," she emphasised. She further added
that in the past two years the Ministry did not receive a single
objection or complaint on intentional discrimination against any
child.
Education for members of national minorities is fashioned in three
models, Huljev explained. The first one is through lessons taught
in the language of the specific national minority, along with the
compulsory four hours of Croatian. The second model is bilingual
education, with subjects referring to the national minority being
taught in the minority's language, while the standard group of
subjects are taught in Croatian. There is also a model of nurturing
the language and culture of a national minority, which is a subject
that is taught five hours per week and which includes subjects in
keeping with a specialised programme for each national minority -
the language and literature of the national minority, history,
geography, fine arts, and music.
Unfortunately, not one of these three models can be applied to the
Romany minority because their language has not been standardised in
Croatia. There are no text books in their language and there is a
lack of staff to teach such programmes, Huljev emphasised. That is
why Romany children attend schools and listen to lessons in
Croatian, she said.
Huljev announced that she and other officials from the Ministry
would visit Medjimurje County next week and speak with the
principles of the schools that were sued.
(hina) sp sb