Problematics of Education, Social Policy and Employment of the Roma Ethnic Group in the Czech Republic

Dear Colleagues,

As many as 350,000 ethnic Roma live in the Czech Republic, according to qualified estimates. Yet, only a fraction of the Roma population has participated in higher education and are achieving success on careers within, and alongside, the majority of society. Better integration, some believe, can facilitate long-term community work and the vigorous removal of prejudice. It is a move that could appreciably effect the political landscape. Unfortunately, we encounter disunity among the Roma population themselves. This should change for an improved future. The current government concept for this purpose supports the development of Roma cultural and educational life.

The majority of citizens in the Czech Republic have differences in many respects, such as traditions, customs, family, and color. The diversity among the Romani people often means they find themselves in conflict with the majority of society in the Czech Republic. The severity of problems related to the Romani community is mainly caused by the fact that the Romani minority in the Czech Republic belongs to the lowest social group, with high unemployment, low levels of education and a disproportionately high share of crime compared with the total population. Intercultural education will contribute to improving existing and new approaches to education and training.

The issue of Roma social exclusion only by social work tools is doomed from the start, because social work renders only some symptomatic manifestations invisible, and does not eliminate the deep cause of social exclusion. Labor rejects the claim that those members of Czech society who object to the current arrangements and the so-called solutions to the “Roma issue” are racists. Criticism of government programs cannot be confused with racism under the pretext of false humanism. From the suggested point of view, there is no choice but to reject how the Czech government as a whole has so far "resolved" the Roma issue. This Special Issue seeks to present a new paradigm, exploring other strategies for addressing the Roma issue from level of children's education, presenting strategies different from those employed to date; as such, we will present strategies with authentic hope for real and lasting success.

This Special Issue seeks to introduce the issue of the Roma ethnic group in the Czech Republic, focusing on the following fields:

• Education;
• Social policy;
• Hidden racism;
• Segregation;
• Social sciences;
• Unemployment;
• Intolerance;
• Ethnics;
• Roma social exclusion.

Dr. Marek Merhaut
Guest Editor

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