Schools asked to count Roma pupils with mental disorders

The Czech authorities have asked schools to make a count of Romany pupils with light mental disorders, the news website idnes.cz reported on Thursday. The Czech School Inspectorate, part of the Education Ministry, is planning to use the data as evidence at the European Court of Human Rights that the number of Romany children segregated in special schools is declining. The Czech Republic has come under severe international criticism for placing disproportionately large numbers of Romany children in special schools because of their alleged mental disorders. The news website reported that some school directors objected to the request, complaining about racial profiling and the vague definition of Romany. The school inspectorate however warned that if schools fail to provide the figures, school inspectors will do the counting themselves.