Web pages about "Slovak Republic"

Romani children segregated in Slovakia’s schools

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 16:17:44 +0100

Large numbers of Romani children are still being segregated within Slovakia’s public school system according to a new Amnesty International report.

A tale of two schools: Segregating Roma into special education in Slovakia documents the violations of the human right to education of Romani children in Slovakia, through the study of the situation in Pavlovce nad Uhom, a town in the east of the country.

As the report shows, the special school in Pavlovce nad Uhom with its near 100 per cent Roma composition has effectively become a segregated, Roma-only school, with a number of Romani children being placed there erroneously.

The report is a follow-up to Amnesty International’s November 2007 report, Still separate, still unequal: Violations of the right to education for Romani children in Slovakia.

Independent studies suggest that as many as 80 per cent of children placed in special schools in Slovakia are Roma. These schools are for children with mental disabilities. Romani children therefore receive a substandard education and have very limited opportunities for employment and further education.

Pavlovce nad Uhom is 10km from the border with Ukraine. According to the municipal authorities, 2,600 of the town’s 4,500 inhabitants are Roma.

There are two primary schools in Pavlovce nad Uhom: a mainstream elementary school with a nursery school attached, and a special elementary school for children with “mental disabilities”.

In March 2008, nearly two thirds of the Romani children attending school in the town were placed at the special school. Of the approximately 200 pupils at the special school, 99.5 percent are Roma.

Following inspections instigated by the mayor of Pavlovce nad Uhom in 2007, it was officially acknowledged that 17 of these pupils did not belong in the special school. Amnesty International has said that it believes the real number is far higher.

Officially, children can only be placed in special schools after the formal diagnosis of a mental disability and only with the full consent of the parents.

However, Amnesty International found that many children had not been assessed at all and that the assessment itself was deeply flawed. At the same time parental consent was often neither free nor informed.

Special schools – officially designed for children with mental disabilities – follow a greatly simplified curriculum. This severely reduces the prospects and opportunities of children whose rightful place is in mainstream education.

The de facto segregation of Romani children in inferior schools compounds their marginalization and reinforces racial prejudices.

Slovakia adopted a new Schools Act in May 2008 that expressly prohibits discrimination and segregation in education. Despite this the government has so far failed to acknowledge the real extent of the problem and consequently to take comprehensive measures to reverse the situation.

The human rights violations in Pavlovce nad Uhom are not just the result of individual human error, but of a broader failure to eliminate discrimination in both the design and the implementation of the Slovak education system.

In the report, Amnesty International calls on all the relevant authorities to take the necessary measures to respect, protect and fulfil the right to education free from discrimination for Romani children and to end racial segregation in education in Slovakia.

In Pavlovce nad Uhom, the organization urges the authorities,to ensure that all measures are taken to identify and provide an effective remedy for all children who have been inappropriately placed in the special school.

Slovakia urged to end segregation of Romani children

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:21:08 +0100

“In grade 7 of the special school I learned the same things that I learned in grade 3 of the mainstream school.”

14-year-old Romani boy, found to have been erroneously placed in the special school

In Slovakia, huge numbers of Romani children are inappropriately placed in "special schools" for children with mental disabilities, where they receive a substandard education, and have very limited opportunities for employment and further education. Independent studies suggest that as many as 80 per cent of children placed in special schools in Slovakia are Roma.

Once children are assigned to special schools, the door leading back to mainstream education for children of average or above-average ability remains shut.

Pavlovce nad Uhom is a town in eastern Slovakia, 10km from the borders with Ukraine. More than 50 per cent of its 4,500 inhabitants are Roma. There are two elementary schools in the town: a mainstream school and a special school for children with mental disabilities.

Nearly two thirds of Romani children attending primary school in Pavlovce nad Uhom are de facto segregated in the special school. 99.5 per cent of the approximately 200 pupils of the special school are Roma.

Officially, children can only be placed in special schools after the formal diagnosis of a mental disability and only with the full consent of their parents. However, many children in Pavlovce nad Uhom had not been assessed at all and the assessment process itself was deeply flawed. At the same time parental consent was often neither free nor informed.

Following inspections instigated by the Mayor of the locality in 2007, it was officially acknowledged that 17 of these pupils did not belong in the special school and had been placed there erroneously. Amnesty International believes the real number is far higher and that more Romani children - whose rightful place is in the mainstream school - continue to be denied their right to education in Pavlovce nad Uhom.

The serious human rights violations in Pavlovce nad Uhom are not just the result of individual human errors, but of a broader failure to eliminate discrimination in both the design and the implementation of the Slovak education system.

Amnesty International calls on the Slovak authorities to recognise these failings and introduce the necessary structural reforms. In particular Amnesty International calls on the Director of the Regional School Authority of the Košice region – founder of and directly responsible for the special school in Pavlovce nad Uhom – to:

Ensure that all placement decisions are reviewed and all children currently attending Pavlovce nad Uhom special school re-assessed in order to identify pupils who may have been placed there erroneously, and ensure their swift reintegration in the mainstream school as appropriate; in those cases the Regional School Authority should also provide an effective remedy, including reparations to the children affected;
Take appropriate measures against state employees who are found to have acted in breach of Slovak law and at the expense of the education of Romani children in Pavlovce nad Uhom;
Ensure that the enrolment of pupils is under no circumstances approved by the special school unless they have been clearly, objectively and unambiguously diagnosed with mental disabilities; such diagnosis must precede the placement of the child; parental request or consent should not be the decisive factor for such a placement.

The school year in Pavlovce nad Uhom begins again on 1 September. Action is needed now to ensure that all its children receive the quality education that they are entitled to.

Europe moves to protect trafficked people

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 16:40:36 +0000

Europe has taken a further step towards protecting people who have been trafficked with the entry into force of a new convention on Friday. The 14 states that have so far become parties to the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings have committed themselves to ensuring greater respect and protection of the rights of trafficked persons.

Amnesty International, Anti-Slavery International and La Strada International welcomed this major step for people trapped in a modern form of slavery, for which Amnesty International has been campaigning for years. The organizations called on the other 33 member states of the Council of Europe, as well as the European Union, to follow the others' lead.

Trafficked persons, when they come to the attention of the authorities, are rarely treated as victims of heinous crimes. Typically, they are treated as criminals, unlawful aliens or, in cases in which the authorities seek to pursue their trafficker, useful tools of the criminal justice system. The psychological, medical and social consequences of their ordeal and the underlying root causes are rarely addressed.

Assistance, when offered to trafficked people to recover from their ordeal, is frequently made conditional on their agreement to cooperate in prosecutions against their traffickers. Such cooperation often places trafficked persons and members of their families in further danger at the hands of the traffickers.

The parties to the Convention – Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Georgia, Malta, Moldova, Norway, Romania and Slovakia – have committed themselves to taking a different approach. They have agreed to take individual and collective action to criminalise trafficking as well as a range of other minimum steps necessary to respect and protect the rights of trafficked persons.

These steps include ensuring that:

a mechanism is in place for the accurate identification of trafficked persons;
persons reasonably believed to have been trafficked are granted time to recover and are offered assistance and protection—regardless of whether they agree to participate in any proceedings the authorities may decide to pursue against those responsible for their ordeal;
trafficked persons have access to redress, including compensation.

Slovakia: Justice minister must stop extradition

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 17:12:27 +0000

Amnesty International is deeply dismayed at today's decision by the Supreme Court in Slovakia which gives the green light for the extradition of Mustapha Labsi to Algeria, where he is at serious risk of torture or other ill-treatment. The organization is calling on the Slovak Minister of Justice, Štefan Harabin, to stop the extradition.

"Returning Mustapha Labsi to Algeria would be a breach of Slovakia's obligations under international human rights law not to send a person to a country where they would face a real risk of torture or other ill-treatment or other serious human rights violations. Mustapha Labsi's case, and Slovakia's compliance with its international obligations, is now in the hands of the Minister of Justice. Only he can now stop the extradition of Mustapha Labsi to Algeria," said Ruben Barbado, Amnesty International's researcher on Slovakia.

Algerian national Mustapha Labsi has been in custody in Bratislava since 3 May 2007 on the basis of a request by Algeria for his extradition. He applied for asylum on 27 June; this was refused on 24 September. The Bratislava Regional Court ruled on 30 November that it would be permissible to extradite him.

According to information submitted to Slovakia by the Algerian authorities, Mustapha Labsi was tried in absentiain Algeria and sentenced to life imprisonment on charges related to terrorism.

"Algeria's assurances that if Mustapha Labsi were to be returned, he would have the right to a new, fair trial, are not worth the paper they are printed on," Ruben Barbado said.

The UN Human Rights Committee recently evaluated Algeria's respect for its obligations under the International Convenant on Civil and Political Rights, including its obligations to respect the prohibition of torture and other ill-treatment and to ensure fair trials. These conclusions as well as Amnesty International's research indicate that those accused of "terrorism" are routinely held incommunicado and in secret locations, which puts them at risk of torture or other ill-treatment.

"The Slovak authorities should not base a decision to extradite Mustapha Labsi on any promises made by Algerian diplomats. As underscored by the UN General Assembly, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN Special Rapporteur against Torture, such 'assurances' do not release the Slovak authorities from their obligations under international law not to send a person to a place where they face a real risk of serious human rights violations, including torture and other ill-treatment."

The world shouts 'Close Guantánamo'

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 12:55:25 +0000

Thousands of people, including Amnesty International members and supporters from around the world, have taken action to mark the sixth anniversary of the first transfers of detainees to Guantánamo. Amnesty International staged protests in 30 countries on Friday, 11 January.

Click on the pictures to the right to watch a slideshow with images of the day.

More than simply a call for closure, Amnesty International once again presented the US government with the organization’s framework for ending illegal detentions, whether at Guantánamo or elsewhere. This time, the framework was supported by over 1,200 parliamentarians from around the world.

In some countries, including Belgium and Ireland, some of the parliamentarians accompanied Amnesty International activists at their events and demonstrations.

The infamous orange jumpsuit – closely associated with the inhumanity and illegality of Guantánamo – became once more the icon of this anniversary. There was also street theatre, poetry readings, the recreation of Guantánamo cells in city centres, speeches, rallies and cyber activism.

US military chief wants to close Guantánamo

On Sunday, two days after the anniversary, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, US Navy Admiral Michael Mullen became the latest US official to say that Guantánamo should be shut down.

“More that anything else, I just think it has been the image – how Gitmo has become around the world, in terms of representing the United States. I believe from the standpoint of how it reflects on us that it’s been pretty damaging.”

What you can still do

Go to tearitdown.org and add your support to Amnesty International’s framework to end illegal US detentions.

Post a tearitdown banner in your website or blog.

Slovakia: Romani children denied equal education free from discrimination

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 17:10:15 +0000

“Children here are mentally retarded. There is a tendency to integrate Romani children in primary schools, but pupils with mental and social retardation stay the same. Children from a socially disadvantaged environment suffer from social and mental retardation.”

Head teacher of a special school where 95 per cent of the pupils are Roma

(Bratislava) Huge numbers of Romani children are still being placed disproportionately in special schools and classes for children with mental disabilities and learning difficulties, or segregated in Roma-only mainstream schools across the country, Amnesty International said today.

The organization's report, Still separate, still unequal: Violations of the right to education for Romani children in Slovakia, reveals that Romani children placed unnecessarily in special schools receive a reduced curriculum and have practically no possibilities of reintegrating into mainstream schools or advancing to secondary education.

The reports calls on the authorities of Slovakia to state loud and clear their determination to eradicate segregation in the education of Romani children and to take swift measures to reverse it.

"Regardless of their individual abilities, many Romani children receive a sub-standard education in segregated classes. The failure of the government to provide adequate education for all Romani children blights their future employment prospects, and adds to a cycle of marginalization and poverty for Roma people," said Nicola Duckworth, Europe and Central Asia Programme Director at Amnesty International.

Amnesty International is concerned that the way assessments are conducted and the criteria used to place a child in a special school or special remedial class within mainstream schools could amount to discrimination as they do not take into account effectively cultural and linguistic differences. Evaluations of the process revealed that up to 50 per cent of Romani children in special schools or classes had been placed there erroneously.

"A child living in a shack with no electricity or running water in the middle of nowhere will not know how to flush a toilet or use a bathroom. Such a child would not know how to hold a pencil or draw a picture or speak Slovak but this should not deprive them of their basic right to proper education," Nicola Duckworth said.

A further concern to Amnesty International is the widespread existence of Roma-only schools and classes. In some parts of eastern Slovakia, 100 per cent of schools are segregated. According to Slovak law, parents have the right to choose their child’s school. This policy, taken at face value, appears neutral - but, in fact, contributes to segregation. Freedom of parental choice has reportedly resulted in increased withdrawal of non-Romani children from schools predominantly attended by Romani children. Parental choice, coupled with the lack of free transportation for Romani children to school has influenced segregation and radically reduced interaction between Roma and other children in Slovakia.

Although the government of Slovakia insists that segregation is not official government policy, so far it has failed to genuinely commit to stopping it. As a representative of the Slovak authorities told Amnesty International, it is easy to segregate but it is much more difficult to desegregate.

"Civil society has the expertise and the experience to contribute to solving the question of segregation and discrimination against Romani children. A meaningful improvement is possible only with the concerted pro-active engagement by the government of Slovakia and the authorities at all levels, working in conjunction with Romani communities and non-governmental organizations," Nicola Duckworth said.

Amnesty International welcomes the special measures that the government of Slovakia has introduced, such as preparatory classes, the employment of teaching assistants, financial incentives for mainstream schools to integrate Romani children, as well as some training for teachers working with Romani children. However, all these measures are not compulsory and in many cases they are not implemented at local level.

The right to education is linked to other important human rights, such as the right to adequate housing. Approximately one third of the Romani population in Slovakia live in settlements situated outside towns and villages, with limited or no water or electricity supplies, sanitation systems, paved roads or other basic infrastructure. The inadequate housing of Roma has a significant impact on the ability of Romani children to exercise their right to education. Katarina Kruštenová from the Roma settlement near Letanovce in Eastern Slovakia told Amnesty International delegates: "We have one candle and we want the children to study at home, but it is over very quickly...".

"The Roma have the same aspirations as the majority population in Slovakia. The government must assume responsibility and promote, protect and fulfil the right to education of Romani children. It must also make the Roma segregated and impoverished settlements a thing of the past." Nicola Duckworth said.

"It is very important that the European Union, of which Slovakia is a member, supports the government in all genuine efforts to address the systematic violation of the right to education of Romani children. The European Union can do so by providing necessary financial and technical assistance, by monitoring how it is used, and crucially by ensuring the participation of the Roma community in all stages of taking and implementing policies and programmes affecting their lives."

Background
Amnesty International's report Still separate, still unequal: Violations of the right to education for Romani children in Slovakia, is one of several by the organization examining the discrimination faced by the Romani communities in different European countries.

The report is based on research conducted during missions to Slovakia in 2006 and 2007. Amnesty International delegates visited Romani communities throughout the country, from Bratislava to Kosice. Amnesty International interviewed members of the Romani communities, government and education officials and professionals and civil society groups. Some of the people featured in the report did not want to appear with their real names because they feared implications in their everyday lives. The report focuses on the life and education conditions in settlements in eastern Slovakia as they are the most representative of the problems addressed.

The data in the report come from official government statistics, and research conducted by international and local organizations and institutions.

See: Still separate, still unequal: Violations of the right to education for Romani children in Slovakia, AI Index: EUR 72/001/2007 http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engeur720012007
Slovakia: Roma and the right to education, Factsheet, AI Index: EUR 72/005/2007 http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engeur720052007
Europe: Discrimination against Roma, AI Index: EUR 01/012/2007 http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engeur010122007
False starts: The exclusion of Romani children from primary education in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Slovenia, AI Index: EUR 05/002/2006 http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engeur050022006

Public Document
****************************************
For more information please call Amnesty International's press office in London, UK, on +44 20 7413 5566
Amnesty International, 1 Easton St., London WC1X 0DW. web: http://www.amnesty.org

Slovak education system fails Romani children

Thu, 22 Nov 2007 16:39:15 +0000

Romani children in Slovakia are being denied the right to a proper education by a system that routinely discriminates against them.

Huge numbers of children are being segregated into Roma-only schools, while others are being placed in 'special' schools despite not having any mental or learning disabilities.

In some parts of eastern Slovakia, 100 per cent of schools are segregated. Romani children often receive a second-rate education and have a very limited chance of progressing beyond compulsory schooling. In 2006, only 3 per cent of Roma children reached secondary school.

"Regardless of their individual abilities, Romani children receive a substandard education in segregated classes. The failure of the government to provide adequate education for them blights their future employment prospects and adds to a cycle of marginalization and poverty for Roma people," said Nicola Duckworth, head of Amnesty International's Europe programme.

Many Roma view education as key to improving their prospects. Yet Romani parents are pressured to accept segregation as normal, and even beneficial, for their children. However, studies revealed that up to half of Romani children in special schools or classes had been placed there incorrectly, while 10 per cent could immediately be integrated into mainstream schools and classes.

Romani children are put at an immediate disadvantage at school entry age, because they usually do not speak Slovak and have not had the benefit of pre-school education. Once they are assigned to special schools, the door leading back to mainstream education is often shut.

Some positive measures have been introduced, such as preparatory classes, the employment of teaching assistants and financial incentives for schools to integrate Romani children. But all these provisions are entirely optional, meaning they are often not implemented at local level, and monitoring by the central government is absent.

The Slovakian government must show leadership and direction in the reversal of discrimination in education. As a first step, it must make an immediate political commitment to eradicate segregated education of Roma. The European Union must support efforts to end the violation of the right to education by providing necessary financial and technical assistance and monitoring its use. Crucially, it must ensure the full participation of the Roma community in setting and implementing policies and programmes that affect their lives.

Discrimination in education cultivates the marginalization of the Romani community. Poverty and lack of opportunity at the beginning of the lives of Romani children should not condemn them to a life of the same.

Video: Slovak education system fails Romani children

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 16:17:50 +0000

Part 1

Video placeholder

Part 2

Video placeholder

Human Rights Council elections 2008 - Slovakia

Thu, 01 May 2008 13:09:17 +0100

Amnesty International is deeply concerned at the situation of the Romani minority in Slovakia, many of whom face discrimination in access to education, housing, health care and other services.

Many Romani children continue to be segregated in Roma-only schools. Others are placed inappropriately in special schools and classes for children with mental disabilities or special educational needs where they receive a sub-standard education and have very limited chances of continuing on to secondary education.

In 2006, only three percent of Romani children reached secondary school, while only eight percent enrolled in secondary technical school. Many factors, including physical and cultural isolation, poverty and lack of transport, prevent Romani children from attending school.

In November 2007, the European Commission called on Slovakia to take concrete measures on the ground to “bridge segregation” and to end discrimination against Romani children in education.

Roma live in very poor conditions, lacking access to plumbing, gas, electricity, water and sanitation facilities. Their settlements are very often segregated from the main town or village, with little or no public transport. There are also reports of forced evictions of Romani communities.

In a landmark decision of the Constitutional Court in January 2007, compensation was granted to three Romani women who had been subjected to forced sterilization.

Reports indicate an increase in racist attacks against minorities and foreigners in Slovakia. However, the response by law enforcement agencies has been inadequate.

Within the framework of the so-called "war on terror", Slovakia has in the past not rejected the use of "diplomatic assurances" from states not to torture people subject to an extradition procedure. Amnesty International was concerned by the decision by the Supreme Court in January 2008 to support the extradition of Mustapha Labsi to Algeria, where he would be at serious risk of torture or other ill-treatment.

However, in March 2008, the Constitutional Court suspended the enforceability of the Supreme Court's decision to extradite Mr Labsi. Until the Constitutional Court takes its final decision on Mr Labsi's appeal, he cannot be extradited to Algeria.

Recent Amnesty International statements and reports:

General

Amnesty International Annual Report extracts for Slovakia, 2005-2007

Discrimination of the Romani minority

Slovakia: Still separate, still unequal: Violations of the right to education of Romani children in Slovakia (Report, 15 November 2007)
Slovak Republic: Open letter regarding the Slovak Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers at the Council of Europe (15 November 2007)

Counter-terrorism and human rights

Further information on UA 320/07 - Torture/Ill-treatment: Mustapha Labsi (22 January 2008)
Slovak Republic: Torture/Ill-treatment: Mustapha Labsi (30 November 2007)
Slovakia: Extradition to Algeria would put Mustapha Labsi at risk of torture or other ill-treatment (28 November 2007)

Ratification of International Treaties

Treaty	Status	Recognition of specific competences of Treaty Bodies	Reservations/Declarations
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)	Succeeded	Art. 41 (inter-state complaints)	Entered
Optional Protocol to the ICCPR	Succeeded
Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR on the death penalty
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights	Succeeded		Entered
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)	Succeeded
Optional Protocol to CEDAW	Ratified	Arts. 8 and 9 (inquiry procedure)
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination	Ratified	Art. 14 (individual complaints)
Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT)	Succeeded	Art. 21 (inter-state complaints) Art. 22 (individual complaints)
Optional Protocol to CAT
Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)	Succeeded		Entered
Optional Protocol to the CRC on children in armed conflict	Ratified		Entered
Optional Protocol to the CRC on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography	Ratified
International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families
International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance	Signed
Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court	Ratified		Entered
Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees	Succeeded		Entered
Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees	Succeeded
The Four Geneva Conventions	Ratified
Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts	Ratified
Protocol II to the Geneva Conventions relating to the Protection of Victims of Non-International Armed Conflicts	Ratified
Protocol III to the Geneva Conventions relating to the Adoption of an Additional Distinctive Emblem	Ratified

Compliance with Reporting Obligations

Total Overdue Reports	Up to 5 years overdue	5 -10 years overdue	10 years or more overdue
5	CAT: 4th periodic report HRC: 3rd periodic report CESCR: 2nd periodic report CRC OP SC: initial report	CAT: 3rd periodic report

Cooperation with the Special Procedures

Extension of a standing invitation	Outstanding visit requests (year requested)	Forthcoming visits (dates if available)	Missions carried out between May 2007 and April 2008
All Special Procedures	None	None	None

Sources:

Official website of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights – http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/ratification/index.htm
http://www.unhchr.ch/
http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/chr/special/countryvisitsf-m.htm
Official website of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees – http://www.unhcr.org/protect/3c0762ea4.html
Official website of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court – http://untreaty.un.org/ENGLISH/bible/englishinternetbible/partI/chapterXVIII/treaty11.asp
Official website of the International Committee of the Red Cross – http://www.cicr.org/ihl.nsf/Pays?ReadForm