Promoted Manual for prevention and protection from discrimination in the education system in Macedonia

The Manual for prevention and protection from discrimination in the education system in Republic of Macedonia was published by the Ministry of education and science, with support from the “National Roma Centrum” from Kumanovo, within the frameworks of the project “Campaign for education of Roma” financed by the Roma Education Fund from Budapest.

28 September 2010 Skopje

The Manual which is intended to prevent discrimination in the education system, was presented today and it is expected to aid in acceptance of differences throughout the schools in Macedonia.

The Manual, published by the Ministry of education and science has for a purpose to improve and strengthen the cooperation and coordination among all authorized institutions and individuals involved in the education system in the direction of providing equal conditions and opportunities for quality education of all pupils regardless of their religious, national or other basis. The Manual was published in accordance with the National Strategy for Roma, the international initiative “Decade for inclusion of Roma 2005-2015” as well as the action and operation plans for education and all other strategic documents of the Ministry of education and science.

What is important for us is that the Ministry of education is the first institution from the central level institutions that has started to develop programs and strategies about the issue of discrimination after the law on protection from discrimination has been brought and I believe that this will incite other institutions to develop strategies in this direction, said Redzep Ali Cupi, Director of the Board for development and promotion of education and languages of members of communities.

The Manual is a result of joined activities of the Ministry of education and science, the citizen’s association “National Roma Centrum” and the Roma education fund from Budapest, within the frameworks of the project “Campaign for education of Roma – inclusion and continuity in the education process”. This publication is also our contribution for identification of possible ways of discrimination, presentation of good practices and introducing of measures for positive discrimination that will bring rapid equalization of opportunities for equal enjoyment of the right for education and overcoming of stereotypes, pointed out Todorov.

The Minister of education and science, Nikola Todorov, said that he is certain that this manual will change the matrix of thinking and the ways of acceptance of differences and will be a good tool for dealing with discrimination that appears in various forms and with different intensity in different parts of Macedonia.

I see this is another image in the mosaic that we are building of Macedonia, i.e. the way we all build Macedonia as functional, multinational democracy in which all citizens will have the same equal rights as citizens regardless of their race, gender, religion and the language in which they speak, said the minister Todorov.

According to him the Manual represents a useful tool and contribution for planing, realization and control of the education process as well as promotion of anti discrimination policy.

The Manual can be used by all students, teachers and parents, i.e. all concerned sides in the education process regardless of their ethnic, national, religious and other belonging. With its understanding and application rights are being respected as well as the role and responsibilities defined with the relevant legal regulative, added the minister Todorov.