On 21 June 2024, we met with the Minister of Education of the Slovak republic Tomáš Drucker to discuss the necessary measures to eliminate segregation and other manifestations of discrimination against Roma children in the Slovak school system.

The meeting was largely prompted by a number of important court decisions on the segregation of Roma children that we have achieved in recent years. Several of them were directed against the state, represented by the Ministry of Education. In specific cases, the courts have upheld the misconduct and inaction of the Ministry in this area.

At the meeting, we pointed out what we consider to be a two-faced approach by the Ministry, which outwardly publicly declares the need to eliminate segregation. However, it has long denied its responsibility in this area in the court cases we have brought. We hope that the Ministry will change its approach.

Among other things, the Minister presented us with the Ministry’s planned steps to combat segregation in education. In particular, there is a planned national project through which pilot desegregation plans are to be implemented in 12-15 selected localities.

We perceive the Ministry’s initiative positively, but we believe that much greater efforts are now needed to combat segregation effectively. Because it is indeed present in many localities and its solutions are gradually becoming more complicated and more difficult to finance.

We will continue to monitor the ministry’s actions closely and will continue to push for effective measures to ensure that Roma children can be educated together with majority children without segregation.