The findings of the RECI study were presented in the Croatian Education Ministry in Zagreb on Tuesday. The research was conducted by the Zagreb-based Institute of Social Sciences "Ivo Pillar", the Open Society Foundation (OSF) network, UNICEF, and the Roma Education Fund.
The study covered 135 Roma households in five predominantly Roma settlements in several Croatian regions.
Only one in five Roma children (20%) is enrolled in pre-school institutions, researcher Danijel Vojak said at the presentation.
As many as 65% of the respondents covered by the research had no education, and 24% had primary school, while a mere 8% graduated from secondary school.
However, some optimistic trends can be observed since 2009 when the number of Roma children enrolled in primary school started increasing. Thus, in 2009, 4196 Roma children were enrolled in school and in 2013, their number stood at 5,470.
On the other hand, it is worrying that 91% of the respondents are jobless, and 18% are without any health insurance.
Addressing the presentation, OSF consultant Arthur Ivatts said he could recognise the values and importance of Croatia's national strategy for the Roma inclusion from 2013 to 2020.
He commended Croatia for "an impressive extent of measures" in line with the national education strategy.
Dusan Kostic, a Roma who holds a university degree and who was engaged in the research, called on Roma to start changing themselves, too. He said that it was vital to convince Roma that it was necessary for them to finish primary education at least.