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Discrimination in Europe's Schools DISCRIMINATION IN EUROPE’S SCHOOLS SPECIAL REPORT | JUNE - JULY 2021 https://eurac.tv/9Ttp With the support of DISCRIMINATION IN EUROPE’S SCHOOLS SPECIAL REPORT | JUNE - JULY 2021 https://eurac.tv/9Ttp Policymakers across Europe have wrestled for many years with the question of whether and how schools discriminate or disadvantage certain ethnic groups, and how to mitigate this. The question has been brought into sharper focus by the Black Lives Matter protests and the effects of the COVID–19, which has forced learning away from the classroom to online. This special report looks at the discrimination and disadvantage that exists in Europe’s schools and wid- er education systems, and what policy initiatives are likely to take root in the coming years. Contents EU race relations bill lacks teeth, twenty years on 4 EU faces challenge of closing Roma 6 education divide UK reports on discrimination in schools open up debate on 8 deprivation Counting the cost of low 10 teacher diversity Pandemic takes toll on refugees’ 12 school access 4 SPECIAL REPORT | DISCRIMINATION IN EUROPE’S SCHOOLS | EURACTIV EU race relations bill lacks teeth, twenty years on By Benjamin Fox | EURACTIV.com Unconscious racial bias has led to adverse health and social outcomes in Black, Asian and other ethnic minority groups. [SHUTTERSTOCK] wenty years ago this week, s for school segregation of Roma manifestations of racism and the EU adopted its landmark children. These procedures are still xenophobia”. TRacial Equality Directive ongoing, however. aimed at prohibiting discrimination The Commission, in its seven based on race or ethnic origin. Yet The Commission has promised year review of the implementation critics of the directive say that it lacks to report on the application of the of the directive published in March, teeth, with little pressure on national Directive this year and follow up also found that although the number authorities to enforce and police its with any possible legislation by 2022, of complaints about discrimination implementation, and no requirement with any revisions likely to focus increased slightly since the 2014 for national action plans. on toughening up provisions on report, “under-reporting remains a discrimination against Roma children problem. Surveys show that those who The slow pace of sanctions for in education. felt discriminated against would not non–compliance has also frustrated easily report the incident.” civil society activists. Since 2014, In February, the European the Commission has initiated Commission told five EU countries The EU’s “legal and policy infringement procedures against the to “fully transpose” into national law framework focused on singular, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary EU rules that criminalise “serious individual acts of discrimination or Continued on Page 5 SPECIAL REPORT | DISCRIMINATION IN EUROPE’S SCHOOLS| EURACTIV 5 Continued from Page 4 racist violence” stated civil society The Action plan also calls for group Equinox Initiative for Racial consistent and improved collection of Justice in March, adding that this equality data, disaggregated by racial focus makes it harder to use the or ethnic origin, one of the main legislation to tackle structural racism. obstacles to assessing discrimination across the bloc. However, there is, as According to surveys carried out yet, no suggestion that this could be a by the EU Agency for Fundamental legally binding requirement. Rights, last year, 45% of people of North African descent, 41% of Roma Meanwhile, all member states and 39% of people of sub-Saharan will be asked to nominate an expert African descent said that they had to participate in a Commission-led faced discrimination within the working group. context of education. Having been quick to respond to the racial justice campaigns led by the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, the European Commission proposed an EU Anti-Racism Action Plan last September, which laid out policies to address structural racism and provide financial support for national policies. The plan also served as the EU executive’s first unambiguous acknowledgement that structural racism exists across the bloc and within the EU institutions. “It brings our policies against racism to the next level, mobilising all tools at our disposal. We are stepping up action, not only with better rules, but with European funding, with police cooperation, with our education policy, with external action and much more,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. That also includes a new position as EU anti–racism coordinator, Michela Moua. However, it is still unclear what the scope of Moua’s mandate will be, prompting a group of 72 civil society organisations to welcome the appointment with the proviso that Moua “needs a clear mandate and civil society participation to deliver on the Anti-Racism Action Plan.” 6 SPECIAL REPORT | DISCRIMINATION IN EUROPE’S SCHOOLS | EURACTIV EU faces challenge of closing Roma education divide By Benjamin Fox | EURACTIV.com High drop–out rates, absenteeism and segregation have long been the hallmark of education access for Roma children in Europe. [EPA/KOBI GIDEON] ncreasing the number of Roma “It is now up to member states to are significantly higher than for other children in early childhood demonstrate a real commitment to ethnic groups, despite the fact that Ieducation by at least 50%, is at tackling antigypsyism – as specific early school-leaving among Roma the heart of a 10-year plan on Roma form of racism against Roma people children have fallen by 19%. equality, inclusion and participation – with a focus on non-discrimination, across the EU, announced by the civil society participation and fighting Despite EU laws against European Commission in March. poverty and social exclusion of Roma,” discrimination, the segregation of said Gabriela Hrabanova, Director Roma children in special schools The EU executive also set a target of the European Roma Grassroots and classes continues in a number of of cutting the proportion of Roma Organisations Network (ERGO countries across the bloc. children who attend segregated Network). primary schools by at least half in The European Commission against member states with a significant High drop–out rates, absenteeism Racism and Intolerance has expressed Roma population by the end of this and segregation have long been the concerns about the segregation decade, as part of a recommendation hallmark of education access for Roma of Roma in education in its most on Roma equality, inclusion and children in Europe. recent reports on Hungary, Romania, participation which was endorsed by Bulgaria, Slovakia, Croatia, the Czech member states. Absenteeism and early-school- Republic and Slovenia. leaving rates among Romani pupils Continued on Page 7 SPECIAL REPORT | DISCRIMINATION IN EUROPE’S SCHOOLS| EURACTIV 7 Continued from Page 6 Under the EU’s Racial Equality education access for Roma children. Directive, children from all racial or ethnic backgrounds must have Lessons shifting from the equal access to education. In classroom to online has excluded reality, however, exclusion and many Roma children from school due discrimination against Roma children to lack of internet and or computer starts at a young age. access, the loss of social aid which was conditional on the participation Only 1 in 2 Romani children attend of children in home schooling in pre-school or kindergarten, and 50% some countries has exacerbated the of Romani people between the ages of situation, ECRI notes. 6 and 24 are not in education. “The COVID-19 crisis has According to the Roma Integration exposed and deepened underlying Strategies report 2019, 68% of Roma structural inequalities in almost children left school early, and only all policy areas, including access to 18% of Roma children go on to higher education, employment, housing education. and healthcare,” said Maria Daniella Marouda, chair of the Council of Only 21% of Romani women and Europe’s anti-racism commission. 25% of Romani men aged 16–24 have completed secondary education or Franz has called for new funding higher. of digital devices in order to avoid a growing digital divide between That, in turn, drives a low rate of children as part of the EU’s Digital only 43% of Roma being in a form of Education Action Plan. paid employment. “They Roma children also face In a resolution drafted in educational consequences, as they September 2020 by Romeo Franz, rarely have access to distant or a Green MEP of Romani origin, the remote learning or home schooling European Parliament called on the at all,” said Franz, adding that “this EU executive to table legislation on ultimately leads to educational gaps the Equality, Inclusion, Participation or total education breakdown in times of Romani people and Combating of a pandemic like COVID-19.” Antigypsyism. Franz contends that the EU’s previous strategies on increasing Roma integration have under- delivered because the responsibility for implementing them lies solely in the hands of national governments. PANDEMIC DIVIDE Meanwhile, the measures to continue education provision amid the COVID-19 pandemic has opened an already yawning divide in 8 SPECIAL REPORT | DISCRIMINATION IN EUROPE’S SCHOOLS | EURACTIV UK reports on discrimination in schools open up debate on deprivation By Benjamin Fox | EURACTIV.com shutterstock_classroom_600x400.jpg he question of whether the UK’s that children belonging to ethnic out. education systems discriminate minorities did as well or better than Tagainst
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