Within the project “We Are Here Together – European Support for Roma Inclusion”, funded by the EU with 4,8 million euros, 25 Roma students have received scholarships that will facilitate their education and reduce the drop-out rates among Roma children.
The project envisages a total of 525 scholarships for Roma high school students across Serbia, in 20 local self-governments.
Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Oskar Benedikt stressed the importance of social integration of Roma, adding that it was important that everyone takes part in the process.
He said that the EU supported preschool, primary and secondary education of Roma in Serbia, but also that there were programmes that helped them find jobs later in life.
Benedikt said that finishing school was hard, given that it takes a lot of effort and studying, which is exactly why he hoped that the scholarships would help high school students be more successful and find a job more easily.
Minister of Education Srdjan Verbic said that the project should take preventive action in order to stop Roma students to drop out of school early.
“The project envisages that in the next two years, 525 high school students, in all four grades, receive scholarships. Teachers and mentors who would support scholarship holders should also be selected,” Verbic said.
He said that 1.609 students applied for the scholarship, and that the next step was the selection of mentors who would monitor students’ school activities and support them in order for students to make progress and complete their education successfully.
As Verbic put it, the number of Roma high school students is growing continuously, but is still “far from the point where we could say we are satisfied with the progress,” therefore there is much work ahead in this area.
“We expect great effort, commitment and work from you. I know it will not be easy for you on the path of knowledge, but I am sure you are destined for great and important deeds, among which the education is one of the most important,” Verbic told students.
Head of the OSCE Mission in Serbia Peter Burkhard said that students would be receiving monthly scholarships as a support to continue their education.
“Enrolling Roma children in school is not a problem – preventing them from dropping out is,” Burkhard said.
