Roma Education Fund


The Roma Education Fund is a non-governmental organization established within the framework of the Decade of Roma Inclusion by Open Society Foundations and the World Bank in 2005.

History

In July 2003, a conference "Roma in an Expanding Europe: Challenges for the Future", co-financed by the Open Society Institute, was held in Budapest. The conference resolved to establish the Decade of Roma Inclusion and the Roma Education Fund.

European Court of Human Rights cases

In 2007, research and observations by the Roma Education Fund were cited in the decision of the landmark case of D.H. and Others v Czech Republic concerning the discrimination of Romani children in the Czech educational system. REF noted the high incidence of placing children into special schools in the Czech Republic compared with other Central and Eastern European countries, the lack of a national definition of "disability" in countries within the region, and the negative effects of special schools on educational achievement.