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Kuzma Criticises Government Approach to Tackling Roma Education
Tuesday 09 March 2010 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, March 9 (TASR) - Opposition SDKU-DS MP Stefan Kuzma on Tuesday slammed Premier Robert Fico and Vice-premier for Minorities Dusan Caplovic's recent plans to address the problematic issue of Roma education by setting up boarding schools for Roma children, saying government is dealing with a few hundred children rather than the hundreds of thousands of Roma living in Slovakia.
Inspecting Caplovic's performance of his ministerial duties on Monday, Fico said that Slovakia has to alter the minority's status quo so as to prevent the further rise of Roma unable to succeed in society. He and Caplovic plan to do so by beginning to train young Roma in boarding schools.
Highly expensive boarding schools would merely help a few hundreds of Roma children, as Slovakia does not have the wherewithal to do anything more, claims Kuzma, who suggests following up with the methods of the former labour and social affairs minister Ludovit Kanik. Kuzma was referring to the adjustments made to the social system designed to motivate the long-term unemployed by graduating payments based on willingness to work.
According to him, the social benefits distribution system is currently ill-adjusted and lacking stimuli. Another issue is the high incidence of petty crime associated with the minority, with Kuzma indicating there should be punishments ensuing from these crimes.
He pointed out that Smer-SD, of which Premier Fico is chairman, could have had laws adopted to have Roma perform work relating to forests or roads had Smer truly wanted to tackle the issue.
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