Education Return to Education section list European Education - Why Central Europe is bad news - Part 3 THE IMPACT OF SPECIAL SCHOOLS ON THE ROMA IN CENTRAL EUROPE,  A case of wilful criminal neglect & professional incompetence Sources: see footnote IMPACTS The first two parts of this article have outlined how ECRE-European Committee on Romani Emancipation discovered that during the period 1989-2003, the Central European Special school system reverted from being a remedial set up for children with special needs to a Nazi-style set up modelled directly on the Special schools of the Third Reich. The governments of the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia have provided generous financial incentives for rural local authorities to force Roma children into such schools to achieve the modus operandi of the old Nazi system characterized by: no parental choice in where their children are sent fraudulent classifications of children by government paid psychologists broad branding of such normal children as being mentally deficient segregation of the majority of Roma children in rural villages vast fund transfers to those who manage the schools a vibrant "Gypsy business" benefiting members of the mainstream This "conversion" of the old remedial schools back into a Nazi style racist system has been managed by the so-called "democratic governments" which have come into being during the last 14 years in the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia. The most striking feature, besides the racism and classification frauds involved, is the sheer scale of this intricate system which transfers funds to mainstream "managers" in a massive Euro multi-million "Gypsy business". The third part of this article reviews the social impacts of this Nazi system on the Roma and mainstream society. ECRE has reviewed and estimated the overall impact of this policy in terms of impact on: the Roma mainstream society society in general the economies of Central Europe IMPACTS ON THE ROMA In central Europe, the official average expectancy of life of Roma is some 60 years (although direct estimates by ECRE indicate that in rural regions this is more like 50-55 years). The previous regime and the church schools saw Roma as manual labourers and prepared the Roma children with the minimum preparation for life as manual labour in a albeit within a system offering full employment. The more recent rise in significance of the Special schools has only intensified the impact of the system in robbing the majority of all generations of Roma in Central Europe of an adequate education. The issue is not that the Roma do not value education. The issue is that they have been previously "managed" under a paternalistic system and, within the last 14 years, have been bullied and forced to place their children into the Special school system for no other reason than racial prejudice and the financial greed of others. The direct outcome of this has been a pervasive, proactive and destructive institutional racial prejudice which has created a poorly educated Roma population. As a result Roma have been unable to follow professional training courses because they lack the basic school qualifications to make them eligible for such training. This tragic and unfortunate outcome is not a result of some ethnic characteristic, or syndrome, but rather is the result of the covert actions of mainstream society leaders and officials. This has to be one of the most perverse examples, in modern Europe, of institutional racial discrimination. This system is in operation today (September 2003). It stands as a monumental affront to common humanity. This system maintains a horrendous annual tradition. At the beginning of each school year, Roma children are, like any children, are happy and apprehensive about going to school for the first time. All children, on the first day congregate at the normal school. But, at the tender age of 6 or 7 many of the Roma children are told by some stranger that they have to go to another school. The other children witness this process. Some, or the majority of the Roma children, are then grouped together and lead by a teacher to the "other" (Special) school. This is a major contrast to the normal school they have just left. Special schools are invariably badly kept, ill-equipped and dull. The process of "selection" frequently falls overtly outside any considerations of decorum or basic educational criteria. In some villages and towns, the process is so cynical, that the local mayor or politicians are directly involved in the process checking to make sure the "numbers" are right. In the majority of cases, the "background" of the parents is used as the "deciding factor" in whether to send a child to a Special school or not. As a result, the Special school system has become self-perpetuating with many new Special school children having parents who themselves went through the same system. The shock to which these children are exposed stays with them for the rest of their life. As normal, this process occurred during the beginning of the academic year 2002 and, if nothing happens to change matters, it will be repeated at the beginning of the academic year 2003. On a broader, and historic basis, these countries have maintained, through the former educational system for the Roma and an increasing influence of the Special school system, a systematized denial of an adequate education to an increasing number of Roma. In substantive terms it would seem that abuse of the system, that is classifying children as Special when in fact they were normal, accelerated during the 1990s. An increasing proportion of Special school children was and is made up of children from the Roma community on a proactive selective basis. As a result a large proportion of Roma amongst people received an inadequate education. Without adequate school qualifications they could not, and can not, pursue professional training courses or higher education. ECRE rejects the broad claims that Roma do not value education and would not take advantage of a good education if this were provided. The inability of Roma parents to be able look after the interests of their children because of direct or implied threats from officials is unacceptable. The anguish and stress this has caused to Roma parents is something which is impossible to measure. The lack of professional training and lower income levels resulting from the need to follow less skilled occupations is another source of stress for people who want the best for their families. The inability to maintain at least average income levels has meant, in general, a more difficult life in terms of normal comforts as well as ability to purchase good quality food. Stress associated with this general circumstance has had direct effects on the health status of the Roma and their longevity in general. Parents who see their families undergoing the normal abuse, lack of work and resulting suffering of their sons and daughters also suffer from stress and this condition can often lead to an early death as a result of strokes or heart attacks. The life expectancy of the Roma population is officially around 60 years whereas that of the mainstream population is some 75 years. ECRE notes that during the last 5 years the proportion of Roma dying in rural areas in the 50-55 bracket is notable and worrying. The grand mythology of language as a constraint There is almost nothing of significance, in the current social and economic status of the Roma, which can said to be caused by "cultural" differences. For example, one of the popular myths, nurtured and built upon by academics and many government advisers, is that a major constraint on "integration" of Roma is the fact that some Roma speak some form of a Romani language. This is used as a backdrop issue to effectively slow things down and add comfort of those who in fact do not want to improve the condition of the Roma. In the case of Hungary, over 78% of the Roma only speak Hungarian, the mainstream language and all of the other Roma speak Hungarian as well as some Romani. In reality, the vast majority of Roma, and increasingly school age children, speak the mainstream languages of Czech, Hungarian or Slovak. Hungarian Roma in the Slovak republic and Romania are bilingual (Slovak and Hungarian or Romanian and Hungarian). In practice, for example, in the case of the Gaelic language in Ireland and the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, knowledge and the use of the language by such communities has not been an impediment to their past full integration into normal schools receiving instruction in the mainstream language (English) nor has this prevented full integration and successful economic development also using the medium of English, the mainstream language.Maintaining the Romani language is a separate and valid issue, as the maintenance of Gaelic is, but this has no impact at all on the ability of Gaels or the Roma to function effectively using a mainstream language. Their circumstances and status are the result of an unfair imposition which starts early in life in the form of the Special schools and continues throughout life in the form of covert and overt racial prejudice. The cause of the drastic circumstances of the Roma is not caused by a defect in their culture but rather by serious flaws in the integrity of leaders in mainstream society as well as professional incompetence and irresponsibility on the part of educational officials. Because of the financial greed, politicians, educational officials and others have taken illicit funds each year. The cost to the Roma population in terms of cumulative earned income lost (opportunity cost) has been massive. By the same measure, the loss in the overall standards of living of these Central European countries has been substantially less than it might have been (see below under Impact on economy). Theatrics of integration In 2000, ECRE warned of the possibility that Central European local authorities might attempt to mislead any EU missions by "closing" Special schools and declaring "integration" by simply placing the same Special students into a lower "stream" within the normal school. (Romani Emancipation , Annual European Progress Report, ECRE, 2000). At the beginning of the academic year 2002, many local authorities announced, locally, that schools were to be "integrated". However, as feared, this has turned out to be a cynical process in which the Roma or "Special" children have simply been relegated to a "Special" stream. The other children, however, remain fully aware of the stigma attached to that group. Today, there are less and less physical buildings identified as Special schools but in most villages in Hungary one can recognize Special school children by the fact that they are the ones who go on long walks outside "their" school, and led by their teachers, while the other "normal" children dedicate themselves to their studies. Today, in 2003, the local authorities do not want to see a reduction in Special school funding. So they continue to feign positive action while manipulating the system to continue to gain this money at the expense of the futures of the Roma children within this "stream". Not just a children's education issue The impact of the Special schools spreads into the current adult Roma population and is reflected in the lack of professional training and in ability to obtain well-paid work. Solving the Special school problem, that is closing them, integrating schools and raising the quality of the content of school curricula for Roma children is essential. However, this does not solve the problem of the adults. Indeed, there is a completely unjustified attitude on the part of some well-meaning individuals, educationalists and even some NGO leaders and staff, who consider the adults to be beyond hope and that all efforts should go to the children. ECRE completely rejects this approach since it would only solve a small part of the problem. Roma families need to be able to earn more and enjoy a better standard of living. To solve this specific problem there is a need for investment in employment generating projects which have professional training as an essential component of the project. IMPACT ON MAINSTREAM SOCIETY The mainstream children, who all witness this process, build an image in their mind, as early a 6 or 7 years of age, that many Roma children are "stupid". This impression stays with mainstream individuals, also for the rest of their lives. The whole process inculcates a form of mind control by causing the Roma children to feel inferior and the mainstream children to feel superior. This is the foundation, the process of nurturing a society infected with the sickness of racial prejudice. This process is alive and well today and will repeat itself in the autumn of 2003. IMPACT ON SOCIETY IN GENERAL This system reflects a failed political leadership where success in politics is reflected in the gaining of access to personal riches as opposed to working to advance the interests of all segments of society as a whole. To some degree this is considered to be the result of three things: The old system Party lists Racism The old system Under the Communist or Soviet system politicians became extremely adept at milking the system and gaining extra income by illicit means. Invariably such benefits were only available to so-called "party members". This "tradition" has continued since the failure of the Soviet economy and the "independence" of the Central European countries. Party lists In some countries, Hungary for example, over 50% of elected politicians are not in fact elected by direct vote but are put up on party lists and gain their seats automatically depending upon the fortune of the party at the election. Such individuals are not elected as individuals and feel very little onus to serve the electorate or a constituency but rather serve their party. Racism Clearly a system which uses a specific group as a commodity in exchange for financial gain is prejudiced against that group. This self-perpetuating system feeds racial prejudice by becoming a self-fulfilling prophesy in which people can say, without fear of contradiction, "Roma are uneducated" or "Roma don't care about education" or "Roma are happy to send their children to Special schools" or "Roma are unemployed, they don't work" or "Roma live off welfare, they are a drain on society". This is a sinister form of racism since the conspiracy of silence over the real motivation behind Special schools has convinced many that Roma are indeed a problem because of their nature or outlook. This is a clear revival of the Nazi-mechanisms of mind control actively pursued and encouraged by today's governments. The populations in Central Europe have lived with the Special school system for so long they appear not to be able to understand what it represents in terms of a horrendous assault on common humanity. And their political leadership is so impoverished that it too sees no reason to comment. Indeed, we have been told that this system could never become a political issue because the name of the game is to become elected and then enjoy the financial benefits provided by such a system. Who is the burden on the state? An interesting perspective of this process is that many politicians criticize the Roma for being dependent upon the public purse for their survival. And yet the Special school financial corruption, managed by these politicians or their peers represents a far greater burden on the state. These same politicians live on that same public purse. The Roma survive on what they might be given whereas the politicians are able to make use of more than their fair share of funds which were directly, or indirectly, justified in the name of Roma children. The greater burden on the state is, without doubt, the corruption of these politicians. Within such a cynical political environment any excesses by one government would never to criticized by an incoming government because it is they who will now enjoy the financial benefits. With such leadership aided and abetted by a perverse elite who manage this feudal system, the true freedom for the Roma is never contemplated. Broad discouragement of Roma This system is geared to discouraged Roma initiative. The foundation of the frustration of the ability of the Roma to be free to pursue freedom and happiness is to be found in the Special schools. The dynamism of youth and the natural tendency of young parents to question decisions which reduce the opportunities for their children is killed off by the relentless and ruthless prevarication and threats of officials and politicians. The Roma to such people are little more than cattle in a farm. They are rounded up and kept in a dingy location for 9 to 10 years, each earning for the corrupt local authority Euro 17,500. The children do not even have to be fed, that is their family's problem. A school with classes of 25 children over the same period will earn Euro 437,500. Roma are far better business than cattle. In return, the Roma children receive absolutely nothing other than a status of being uneducated and unable to compete in the future labour markets. Unable to do better for themselves and their families, unable to provide for their children in a way comparable to the rest of society. Overall, this system, which passes for little more than a criminal conspiracy, breeds contempt for the Roma on the part of the mainstream and cultivates a resignation and despair on the part of Roma. These three parts of this article have described the neo-Nazi policies of the current governments of the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia. Although Europe underwent a horrendous war to rid Europe of such a danger, the system is alive and well in the educational ministries and local authorities in these countries and underwritten by the fraudulent assessments of the government-paid educational psychologists. As in the case of the Third Reich, Europe and German society paid a very high price for such madness . This approach to Europe's largest minority also comes at a moral and ethical cost to European politics and the image of European leadership. But this blindness also comes with a massive economic cost to the economies of the countries concerned. The assessment of the economic costs of these neo-Nazi policies are presented in a two part article in the Economics section of Romani World and entitled, European Monetary Union - Why Central Europe is bad news. Return to Education List ? Continue on to the Economics List ? Document: ECRE(2003) 002; Updated 18th March 2003  A Report on an Investigation by EUROPEAN COMMITTEE ON ROMANI EMANCIPATION ECRE, European Economic Interest Grouping, THE IMPACT OF SPECIAL SCHOOLS ON THE ROMA IN CENTRAL EUROPE,  A case of wilful criminal neglect & professional incompetence, Brussels, 26 February 2003