The Regional Court in Prešov, by its judgment of 21 April 2026, which was served on us in June 2026, upheld the judgment of the court of first instance dismissing an anti-discrimination claim concerning the disadvantage experienced by a Roma child in access to education during the pandemic.

In this case, we argued that the State failed to adopt sufficient measures to remove the barriers faced by children from disadvantaged communities following the introduction of distance learning, particularly with regard to access to digital technologies, internet connectivity, and the support necessary to participate in the educational process.

The appellate court agreed with the conclusion of the first-instance court that, in the extraordinary circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, the State’s actions did not amount to discriminatory treatment.

We disagree with this decision. We continue to maintain that the State should have adopted more effective measures to ensure that children from disadvantaged communities were not excluded from access to education. Therefore, we will file an appeal on points of law with the Supreme Court of the Slovak Republic.

This case highlights the broader issue of digital exclusion and inequalities in access to education, which may have a significant impact on children’s educational opportunities and future prospects.

We would like to thank everyone who supports our strategic litigation efforts in the field of human rights protection and the fight against discrimination. We are especially grateful to Digital Freedom Fund for its support.

The appellate court’s decision in Slovak is available in anonymized form here.