Serious discrimination in the 2009-2010-Maros/ Mureş County’s draft school enrolment plans

Marosvásárhely / Târgu Mureș, January 2009.℘

The Hungarian Teacher’s Association of Romania and CEMO discovered severe discrimination in the 2009-2010-Maros County’s draft school enrolment plans and, consequently they initiated a petition requesting and an amendment to the draft.

As known, the draft does not ensure the possibility for 462 Maros County Hungarian-speaking children to continue their education in their mother language.  This school year a total of 1,862 Hungarian-speaking children graduated from primary school.  Continuing studying is mandatory, and naturally all graduating children want to continue their studies.  However, the current enrolment plan sets forth only 1,400 places for Hungarian-speaking students while at the same time 3,700 Romanian elementary school graduates can choose from approximately 4,200 Romanian language places that were allocated to them for their further studies.

Against this fact took up public position CEMO and the Association of Hungarian Educators of Romania, by drafting the below petition and also a letter of complaint to the National Council Against Discrimination (NCAD) and by gathering supporting signatures from the public.

The NCAD considered discriminatory this draft enrolment plan of the School Inspectorate of Maros County and through their decision number 47made on the 27th of January 2009, requested the School Inspectorate to change it by increasing the number of Hungarian-language classes.  However, the changed new draft enrolment will be also negatively discriminating the Hungarian children by not offering them the required additional 67 Hungarian-language placements.  This time the NCAD has fined also the Maros County School Inspectorate; the value of the fine being 650 RON.  The decision taken by the NCAD is democratic in its nature and it clearly states that there is discrimination in the education system, and as such it is directed against the Hungarian-speaking children.  The Maros County School Inspectorate has challenged the decision of the NCAD in the courts, sued the NCAD, and when, at the first trial day the Hungarian Teacher’s Association of Romania (HTAR) wanted to enter the trial, only then were they made aware of the fact that they are sued too and they are in fact defendants in this case.

Therefore, court trial is ongoing between the Maros County School Inspectorate (applicant) and the National Council Against Discrimination (defendant) and the Hungarian Teacher’s Association of Romania (defendant). The next court day will take place in the Marosvásárhely Court (Tîrgu Mureş in Romanian) on January 27, 2010.  This court hearing will be public.