Permanent Mission of Slovakia Item III Madam President, Ladies and gentlemen, It is a great honour to represent the Slovak Republic at today’s forum and speak on the policies of the Slovak government relating to the persons belonging to minorities and the application of the right to education in Slovakia. The constitution of the Slovak republic guarantees to persons belonging to national minorities or ethnic groups all round development for example to create and maintain educational and cultural institutions to study in their own language and to use their language in official communications. Since 1999 the right to use national minority language is in official communication has been governed by the act on the use of national minority languages. The New School Act as part of the educational reform in Slovakia established the prohibition of all forms of discrimination as one of key principle of education and training in Slovakia. To strengthen the fight against discrimination amendment of anti-discrimination act introduced temporary positive action measures in the are of education. In 2000 the government approved a special conception on education and training on national minorities and special conception on education and training for Roma children pupils including the development of secondary and higher education. Training and education for children for pupils of national minorities in Slovakia is provided from elementary school to the university level in a language of a national minority with financial normative support higher than an 8 per cent according to schools with Slovak language. Since 2002 the concept of a zero year and teacher assistant to the pupils has been used in elementary schools in Slovakia for children from socially disadvantaged background especially from Roma communities. Slovakia fully respect the rights of persons belonging to national ethnic religious and linguistic minorities which we see as an extraordinary resource of cultural wealth natural part of multicultural society. My time is out, so thank you for your attention.