Serbia, CERD/C/SRB/CO/1

15. The Committee expresses its concern that members of the Roma minority continue to experience segregation with regard to access to education. It is also concerned at the fact that Roma children returnees, upon readmission agreements from Western European countries, face additional difficulties in entering the Serbian educational system, due to, inter alia, enrolment and placement procedures (arts. 3 and 5 (e)(v)).

Bearing in mind its general recommendations No. 27, paragraphs 17-26 and No. 32 o, the Committee strongly urges the State party to address de facto public school segregation, and carry out the necessary measures to facilitate access to quality education including through anti-discrimination training for school staff and awareness-raising for parents, increasing the number of Roma teaching assistants, preventing de facto segregation of Roma pupils, and other measures for the promotion of inclusive education. It also encourages the State party to develop specialized and appropriate procedures for the reception, assessment and placement of children returnees and to increase the awareness of school teachers of the importance of such procedures.