Work which was already done in the frame of the bilateral project about Roma in Slovenia and Austria »Improvement of the position of Roma-challenge for minority law« is a base for the further work. In the frame of this project we already prepared two round tables and publications in Slovene (with summaries in English, German and Slovene language) and in German language. Round table in April 1999 was included within the frame of the activities of the Council of Europe concerning Roma and promoting bilateral projects. Extension of the project considering some fields of the regulation, particularly education and employment, to the neighbouring countries was planned from the very beginning. Existing educational models and training for Roma in South Eastern Europe are either integrative models, including Roma pupils in general forms of education or performed as a special training courses for Roma, aiming to improve their employment opportunities, or a combination of both models. Models differ regards the basic aim of the eduaction for Roma, considering the level of teaching of Roma language, way of financing and role in the general educational systems and in the planning of the linguistic, educational and cultural politics in certain state. The wider objective of the Project is to present the possibilities for establishing the educational model for Roma, which will reflect their special needs particularly regarding the increasing employment opportunities. The social aim of such model is to contribute to the integration of Roma, but not to alienate them from their language and their ethnic identity. One of the basic conclusion of the research work is that the educational and employment sphere are the key issues for the improvement of the position of Roma. Highest level of education and regular employment will enable Roma to improve the cooperation with the majority and themselves solve their problems. In such circumstances they will need from the state only the »help for the help of their own«. Within the frame of the Project we will first present the existing models of education and training for Roma, than compare them according to essential elements with the intention to develop models which will achieve the aims of social integration and maintaining the ethnic identity of Roma, taking into account concrete circumstances. Project partners already started with establishing a specific network of scientific, documentation and research institutions, experts and NGO s in the region as a solid base for further work. Situation in individual country will be presented through case studies.

Report of the project Roma in the processes of European integration: Educational models and training for Roma - way for improvement of their position and better employment opportunities (slo)