The state should take all the necessary systematic steps to give Roma children an equal chance to find jobs and for self-realisation, Slovak President Zuzana Caputova stated on Friday after receiving Roma students on the occasion of International Roma Day. She added that work is also needed on personal attitudes so that people are not judged by their skin colour or nationality, but by their personal qualities. The group of students included a promising doctor, a chess player, a future lawyer, a boxer and an ice-hockey player. Caputova pointed out that Roma children, who often come from socially weaker backgrounds, have very little chance to succeed in life. "The reason for this is a vicious circle of exclusion, generational poverty and prejudice in many cases," she stated. Medical student Eva Adamova highlighted that, compared to the past, there are now more Roma graduating from universities and engaging in various spheres of work. "By far not all Roma children are doing well and have been given such an opportunity. Not all of them have managed to overcome barriers, be they poverty, prejudice, or often almost automatic inclusion in special schools," the student warned. She expressed her wish to see Slovak society reach a stage at which it will not be a surprise or a rarity for a young Roma individual to be a lawyer, doctor, economist or successful athlete.
Source: TASR
