Christer Hallerby, state secretary at the Swedish Ministry for Integration and Gender Equality, said "education is a key issue to fight against exclusion and discrimination of Roma".
Hallerby, whose country currently holds the EU's rotating presidency, was speaking after a meeting of the second European Platform for Roma Inclusion in Brussels.
Indeed, a high proportion of Roma have never been enrolled in an education system, according to the Roma Education Foundation (REF). "This lack of good education can lead to a vicious cycle of unemployment, poverty, poor housing and bad health," said Vladimír Špidla, the EU's commissioner for employment and social affairs.
Moreover, in several EU member states or candidate and potential candidate countries, Roma children are disproportionately placed in special education systems. In Slovakia for instance, 60% of pupils in special education are Roma, the REF study found.
In other countries like Hungary, children are deliberately placed in separate classes, which is a form of discrimination. In Serbia, school-age children are even placed in adult educational schools. All of this "widens the gap between the Roma minority and majority communities," deplored Sweden's Hallerby.
The second European Platform for Roma Inclusion discussed ways to facilitate access of Roma people to mainstream education, and thereafter employment and housing.
The Swedish case of "mainstreaming education" for Roma was presented at the gathering. "Sweden has probably the same number of difficulties as other EU countries, but a governmental commission is working on Roma issues and many projects are implemented at local level," said Hallerby.
"Education policy is not only a responsibility for the authorities but also for the parents," he stressed. "We need to establish trust relations between parents and social actors."
"The response mainly remains on the national and local levels," insisted Commissioner Špidla, "but we can give a value from EU level".
"The Commission can provide political commitment and leadership, enforce a modern non-discrimination legislation and provide financial support," added Špidla, stressing the need for "coherent action".
