Amnesty says Czech schools still fail Roma Gypsies - Text 3

Amnesty says Czech schools still fail Roma Gypsies

A Czech schools are still riddled with "systematic discrimination" that ensures Roma children get an inferior education, Amnesty International says. The human rights group has called on the Czech Republic to end what it calls racial segregation in schools. It says Roma (Gypsy) children are often sent to schools for children with mental disabilities.

B In 2007 the European Court of Human Rights said this violated the right of Roma children to a full education. Amnesty says although the Czech government in 2005 changed the name of these "special schools" to "practical elementary schools", "the system which places children in these schools and teaches a limited curriculum essentially remains the same". In some places, it says, Roma children make up more than 80 % of the students of practical elementary schools.

C Roma children who stay in mainstream schools tend to end up in classes full of other Roma, as white parents will often move their children elsewhere, says the BBC's Rob Cameron in Prague. These Roma-only schools often provide a curriculum. All this, says Amnesty, reduces children's prospects of finding decent employment in the future, and reinforces their sense of social exclusion.

D Nicola Duckworth, Amnesty International's Europe and Central Asia programme director, said: "Education is the way out of an inhuman circle of poverty that affects a large part of the Roma population in the country. Unless the Czech authorities give them equal opportunities, they will be denying Romani children their chances for a better future and full participation in the life of the country."

E The BBC has yet to receive a response to the report from the Czech government. Previously, it has admitted to difficulties integrating the Roma community but has argued that since its schools were not set up specifically for Roma children, the system was not discriminatory.

court – soudní dvůr

curriculum – školní osnovy

decent – slušný

essentially – v podstatě

inferior – druhořadý

poverty – chudoba

riddled – prosycený

violate – porušovat

1) Read the article and match each of the headings to a paragraph.

1 Special school became practical elementary school

2 Equal opportunities are the way out

3 Introduction

4 The BBC has been waiting for the response from the Czech government

5 Romani children in mainstream schools

2) Read the article and answer the questions.

       1 What is the article about?

2 What is Amnesty International?

3 Where is the majority of Romani children educated?

4 How can better education help Romani children?

5 Are Czech schools set up specifically for Romani children?

3) Explain the following words.

1 discrimination

2 human rights

3 Roma-only school

4 equal opportunity

5 government

4) Answer the following questions.

What are the main problems of Roma community in the Czech Republic? How is the life in a Romani ghetto? What do you know about the segregated locality of Havaj in Jihlava?

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8456882.stm