The right to education of Roma children in Romania: European policies and Romanian practices

Abstract

AbstractAfter a long history of living in Europe, latterly in democracies governed with reference to human, and children's, rights, Roma children still have a very low education status and very low school participation rates. The aims of this article are to review the current state of participation of Roma children in education in European countries, with a special focus on Romania, and to discuss some issues about how the right to education is, or is not, respected in the region. Data accumulated in the last decade are revisited and educational policies are analyzed. Particular attention is given to issues of segregation in education, scrutinized through the lens of Romanian and international education practices. The article recommends a number of policy responses, including the value of added cash transfers, as well as action to ensure quality standards in all education settings frequented by Roma children.