The Roma Education Initiative (REI) was a project of the Open Society Institute - Budapest, run by the Education Support Program (ESP) in cooperation with Children and Youth Programs in New York. It was designed to work in collaboration with National Soros Foundations, and/or closely allied spin-offs or NGOs.

photo by Poppy Szaybo

REI aimed to tackle the unacceptable situation in the Region of Central, Eastern and Southeast Europe in education for Roma children. It was a three-year effort from 2002 to 2005. It set out to increase national programming, to ambitiously mobilize national agendas and resources, and to advocate strongly and consistently for systemic and policy changes that work against segregation and all forms of racial discrimination of Roma children in the school systems. It challenged governments to meet their democratic commitments working in collaboration with its OSI partners the Roma Regional Participation Program and the European Roma Rights Center.

National Soros Foundations or closely allied spin-off NGOs design national strategies, agendas and programming in cooperation with other NGOs, organizations, donors, and government.

OSI - Budapest provided support in two ways:

• technical support to National Soros Foundations or implementing NGOs in designing national strategies, program content, fundraising, monitoring and evaluation, and policy support (both for written papers and design of policy workshops and seminars).

• funding to national implementation efforts, for expert exchange, international cooperation, and for policy support.

Why was it born ?

The urgent issue of addressing the educational needs of Roma children is now emerging as a priority on the European level. Analysis of Foundation and other NGO education programs for Roma indicated that, while a range of initiatives were supported, very few have tackled the core systemic issues that block full access of the Roma community to quality education. Without this important strand, any strategy can offer only a very limited prospect of success. The OSI network, with its collective experience, is well positioned to take a lead in this arena with a focus on practice to inform policy that works towards the integration of Roma children.

REI Mission:

The prime objective for the REI was to promote Equal Access to High Quality Education for All. 

Equal access to quality education of Roma was REI's basic philosophy and primary goal, and will work towards integrating Roma children into mainstream state education. It did not tolerate or support efforts that perpetuate or contribute to unequal, segregated education. The initiative recognizes, however, from a pedagogical perspective that for integration to occur, preparation of schools, teachers and majority communities as well as academic preparation of Roma students is a necessary pre-requisite.

The Roma Education Initiative had two goals:

• the elimination of discriminatory process in the school systems of countries in the Region; and 

• the establishment, through positive interventions - especially in the area of early childhood schooling and literacy - of the conditions necessary to enable Roma children succeed in school on equal terms with their peers.