Magdalena Karvayová: Romani children in the Czech schools are still segregated, we can change that

On the occasion of Human Rights Day in December 2018 and the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Embassy of the United States of America in Prague gave its 15th Alice G. Masaryk Human Rights Award to Magdalena Karvayová, a young Romani activist in the area of inclusive education who is a founder of the Awen Amenca organization. “We had a problem with Romani children being disproportionately diagnosed as mildly mentally disabled. After the D.H. case, and after international pressure for Romani children to not be disproportionately enrolled into the ‘practical schools’, spatial segregation began to happen, which means that segregated classes within schools began to be created. This problem is still a current one and we must combat it and involve not just parents in solving it, but teachers, principals and school establishers,” she told ROMEA TV in an interview.

“I do not believe I could have achieved what I have to date without my colleagues and the people around me. There is still a long road ahead of us. This award is not just for me, but for all who have supported me on my path of advocating for human rights, especially in the area of equal education and equal access to a quality education for Romani children” she said when receiving the award.