ERRC Letter to the Hungarian Minister of Education
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From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 1999 09:14:10 +0300 (EET DST)
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Subject: ERRC Letter to the Hungarian Minister of Education
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Original sender: European Roma Rights Center <[email protected]>
ERRC Letter to the Hungarian Minister of Education
On August 27, 1999, the ERRC sent a letter to Dr Zoltan Pokorni, the
Hungarian Minister of Education, to express concern at the fact that
the Director Dr. Foldi Janos Primary and Art school was recently
presented with a state award. The school was the scene of a nationally
publicised attack early in the 1998/1999 school year, in which a
teacher attacked and wounded Romani pupils with a knife. The text of
the letter follows:
Dear Minister of Education,
The European Roma Rights Center (ERRC) has learnt with indignation
that on 20 August, 1999, you granted a Trefort Agoston award to the
headmaster of the Hajd=FAhadh=E1z Dr. Foldi Janos Primary and Art
school.
The ERRC notes that you have rewarded the headmaster a school in which
Romani children have been received their education in separate
classes.
We are convinced that the headmaster of a school where separating
Romani children has been institutionalized and where Romani children
have little hope for further studies does not deserve recognition,
especially with a
state award.
Less than a year ago, in September 1998, the headmaster of the
Hajd=FAhadh==E1z school, risking his own physical safety, prevented a
mentally unstable teacher from stabbing children who were queuing for
lunch. The ERRC appreciates his brave and self-sacrificing act. On the
occasion of that incident, you paid a visit to Hajd=FAhadh=E1z and
also had the chance to meet with Romani parents who complained that
their children were receiving lower quality education in segregated
classes. Based on the same complaints, an inquiry into the school
conditions was launched by the minorities ombudsman. Among others, the
findings of the inquiry state the following:
"The primary school consists of several buildings. [... Not a single
Romani pupil attends the central building which is best equipped, and
the proportion of Romani pupils in the mixed classes is only 33%.
[...] The central building was recently reconstructed and has two
gymnasiums. There is no gymnasium, however, in the gymnasiums on Szabo
Gabor street which is attended by Roma in homogeneous lower classes,
thus these pupils have to walk 1500 meters each time they have a
physical education lesson. [...] In this gymnasium the facilities and
equipment are the poorest, and according to the pupils they study from
old textbooks which they are not allowed to take home. [...]
In 1998, the municipality of Hajd=FAhadh=E1z received 12,186,000
forints from the central state budget as a minority complementary aid
which without parents' consent is continuously used for creating
segregated classes. [...] Without parents' consent, teachers
themselves decide what is good for the pupils. It is dangerous also
because thus it is only the teacher who decides who is a Gypsy. This
solution grossly violates Article 7 of the 1993 LXXVII law on the
national and ethnic minority rights."
Segregated education remains part of the school's practice. According
to a 1998 survey by the foundation for Romani Civil Rights, as a
result of efforts made by education authorities of the Hajd=FA-Bihar
County, in ten years, from 1976 through 1986, the number of Roma
classes in the county considerably dropped (from 37 to 23), while the
number of Roma children has risen. Hajd=FAhadh=E1z has shown the most
resistance to integrated schooling, despite the fact that the town has
received the most help from the county to solve the issue of mixed
kindergartens. A report from this period by the head of the County
Council regarding the issue states the following: "There still are 23
segregated Gypsy classes in the county out of which 15 are in
Hadhazteglas." In the second half of the 1980s the town maintained
twice as many Gypsy classes as the rest of the county's settlements
altogether. Since 1994, without parents' consent, Hajd=FAhadh=E1z has
not only maintained Gypsy classes, but also has expanded these to
upper classes.
Based on the above facts, the ERRC views the award you have granted as
inappropriate. We request Mr Minister to explain on what grounds you
gave such a high award to the headmaster of the Dr. Foldi Janos
Primary and Art
school.
The ERRC is convinced that a person who is the headmaster of a school
in which dozens of pupils suffer disadvantage because of their origin
should not receive such an award from the state. Also it is advisable
to avoid any sign showing that practices which cause a feeling of
humiliation in a part of the population are acknowledged by the state.
The ERRC respectfully requests an early explanation of the grounds for
the award.
Sincerely yours,
Dimitrina Petrova
Executive Director
Persons wishing to express similar concern are urged to contact Dr.
Zoltan Pokorni, Minister of Education at the fax number: (36 1) 269
2437
*****************
The European Roma Rights Center is an international public interest
law organisation which monitors the rights of Roma and provides legal
defence in cases of human rights abuse. For more information about the
European Roma Rights Center, visit the ERRC on the web at
http://errc.org.
European Roma Rights Center
H-1525 Budapest 114
PO Box 10/24
Hungary
Telephone: (36 1) 42 82 351
Fax: (36 1) 42 82 356
*****************
SUPPORT THE ERRC!
The European Roma Rights Center is dependent upon the generosity of
individual donors for its continued existence. If you believe the ERRC
performs a service valuable to the public, please join in enabling its
future with a contribution. Gifts of all sizes are welcome; bank
tranfers are preferred. Please send your contribution to:
European Roma Rights Center
Budapest Bank Rt.
99P00402686
1054 Budapest=20
Bathory utca 1
Hungary
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