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Press Release, Donor Conference 2009

Roma education to get crucial boost in funding
 
Contact: Jeno Zsiga at info@romaeducationfund.org
www.refdonorconference.org

BRUSSELS 12 November 2009 – At an international donor conference hosted by the Open Society Institute, the World Bank and the European Economic and Social Committee, donors swung their financial support behind education for the Roma, Europe ’s largest minority population. The €25.5 million in funding commitments announced by donors today is targeted for the Roma Education Fund (REF) and will provide the essential ingredients needed for children to succeed in school: scholarships, school meals, teacher training and academic support. The added financial support will also help governments develop stronger national policies for Roma inclusion.

The Roma Education Fund has recently published a study on special education in the Slovak Republic, entitled School as Ghetto –Systematic overrepresentation of Roma in special education in Slovakia.

 EN translation     SLO translation

SUPPORT REF 2009

Why and How To Support The Roma Education Fund?

Despite, or even because of today’s global economic crisis, the demand for REF’s services is expected to increase during the coming years. This trend has already been demonstrated by the heavily increasing number of grant applications received in 2009.