THREE primary schools in eastern Slovakia were praised by a group of American diplomats on October 25 for their efforts to integrate Roma students into their classrooms, the TASR newswire reported.
Representatives from US Embassies to Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Serbia visited schools in Šarišské Michaľany, Petrovany (both in Prešov Region) and Veľká Ida (Košice Region).
“I think that the impression we all shared was quite positive,” Jamal Al-Mussawi, the first secretary of the US Embassy to Slovakia, told TASR. “These schools employ different methods to ensure that all students, regardless of their ethnic origin and level of education, could receive their education together in one classroom and learn from each other. We observed three different schools with three different methods aimed to make students work together and each method seems to be quite efficient.”
According to Al-Mussawi, the approaches of the three schools could be used by other schools in Slovakia and in other countries.
Diplomats came to eastern Slovakia with an eye towards familiarising themselves with the situation regarding the integration of Roma into the majority society in the sphere of education.
On October 24 they met with NGOs which focus on Roma issues.
