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Founded | May 12, 2005 |
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Founder | Open Society Foundations World Bank |
Type | Non-profit organization |
Headquarters | Budapest, Hungary |
Key people | Ciprian Necula, Executive Chair |
Website | www |
The Roma Education Fund (REF) is a non-governmental organization established within the framework of the Decade of Roma Inclusion by Open Society Foundations (formerly Open Society Institute) and the World Bank in 2005. [1]
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. [2]
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. [3] 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. [4]