Starting in September, older students from Malý Slivník, who until now have been attending school in neighboring Terni in the afternoons, will be educated in elementary schools in Prešov. The village of Malý Slivník has been included in the Prešov school district, which, according to the school authority, will help to distribute pupils evenly among several schools and at the same time reduce the risk of segregation.

We welcome this decision at the Counseling Center. Since 2015, we have been conducting strategic litigation in the courts to end the segregated education of Roma children from Malý Slivník at the school in Terni. The court ruled in our favor, and the state is now obliged to desegregate. The change in school districts is an important step in this process, and we are glad that ten years after the lawsuit was filed, the state has finally begun to act.

However, this step must only be the beginning. In addition to changing school districts, it is essential to ensure other measures – safe transportation to schools, working with parents, and other support – so that children from Malý Slivník have truly equal and safe access to quality education without segregation.

We will closely monitor the state’s next steps and continue to stand up for the rights of Roma children to education without discrimination.

You can find more information about our legal dispute in our latest press release on the appeal court’s decision.