CAKOVEC, June 17 (Hina) - The parents of pupils of two primary schools in Medjimurje have sent a protest letter to school councils and other competent bodies against a law suit filed by Romany students against the schools, claiming
that they were segregated.
CAKOVEC, June 17 (Hina) - The parents of pupils of two primary
schools in Medjimurje have sent a protest letter to school councils
and other competent bodies against a law suit filed by Romany
students against the schools, claiming that they were segregated.
#L#
Fifty-seven (57) Romany pupils, with the help of the International
Romany Rights Centre in Budapest and the Croatian Helsinki
Committee, filed suits against four schools, Medjimurje County and
the Croatian education ministry for "the illegal organisation of
classes for Romany students by separating them into special classes
in which the school curriculum is shortened".
The suit applies to primary schools in Orehovica, Kursanec, Macinec
and Podturn.
The first hearing in the case was held at the Cakovec municipal
court on June 12.
More than 400 parents of pupils at the Kursanec school on Monday
submitted to the school a petition requesting that their children
attend classes in which all students have the same opportunities to
progress and obtain knowledge according to their abilities.
"As Romany pupils have lesser abilities to progress because of the
insufficient knowledge of Croatian, their irregular attendance,
undeveloped hygienic habits and lack of parental care, we believe
that our children would receive less education in mixed classes,"
the petition reads.
When the parents of Romany children begin fulfilling their parental
obligations, the reasons for the alleged segregation and
discrimination will be removed, the petition reads.
More than 200 parents of the primary school in Macinec sent their
protest letter with the same request to Medjimurje County, the
education ministry, county police department and the Croatian
Helsinki Committee.
They are asking that their children be given the same level of
education as other Croatian children in Croatia. They stress that
Romany children's rights are denied by their parents who are not
interested in preparing their own children for school.
The parents are asking of the police department and the interior
ministry to protect their Croatian children from increasing verbal
and physical assaults as well as robberies, which has been
occurring since the Romany children filed charges.
"If the interior ministry cannot adequately protect Croat
children, we will be forced to find a way ourselves to protect the
Croat children," the letter said.
The parents also forwarded a letter to the media, saying that it is
high time objective reporting was offered about events. They are
requesting of the Croatian Helsinki Committee to "protect the human
rights of Croat children in the Macinec primary school, because
they have become a Croat minority in Croatia".
(hina) lml