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Caplovic: 20-percent Threshold for Ethnic Minorities Is Enough
Monday 08 March 2010 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, March 8 (TASR) - The current regulation stating that an ethnic minority living in a given village or town must make up at least 20 percent of the population in order to be allowed to use its mother language in official contacts is enough when it comes to ensuring the rights of ethnic minorities living in Slovakia, Deputy Premier Dusan Caplovic said on Monday.
Caplovic was reacting to a report recently released by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, which complained that large ethnic-minority populations that don't reach the threshold aren't allowed to use their own language in official contacts. This is at odds with the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, said the Committee, calling for Slovak bodies to reconsider the threshold.
"We're meeting standard criteria that are in place across the whole of Europe. The 20-percent threshold is definitely enough," said Caplovic.
The Committee also recommended that Slovakia should scrap the practice of enrolling Roma children in schools for children with special needs without good cause. At the same time, the Government should promote across-the-board education of Roma children in their own language instead.
"I like those theoreticians who can be heard from Strasbourg saying how it should it look, but who have never been to a Roma settlement in Slovakia," said Caplovic. He pointed out that Slovakia, as one of the few European states to do so, has codified the Roma language and in 2008 standardised it after Roma organisations pledged to use a single form. He therefore expects that Roma organisations will take part in preparing schoolbooks for the Roma to be used in nursery and primary schools.
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