Multicultural contacts: - contacts among students and teachers of different communities – i.e. bilingual schools, teaching of minority languages also for the majority composition of pupil/student groups and of teaching staff profile 3. Promotion of equal opportunities for access to education All the points below have to be considered in the light of the possible gender disparities. Legal and institutional framework: - constitutional and legal guarantees of the right to education at all levels minority education strategies to ensure equal access to quality education specialized structures for minority education within state educational authorities supervision of schools minorities participation in decision-making in the educational sphere Resources: - financial resources in state/local budget to implement legislation and strategies state support for educational initiatives by national minorities - (vulnerability of numerically smaller minorities or of those who do not enjoy the support of a kin-state) bilateral/multilateral co-operation in the educational sphere (teacher training, textbooks and teaching materials, students exchanges) Specific issues of concern as for the accessibility of education (and measures): - School registration ! denial of registration of minority children (Roma in particular) ! specific situation of displaced persons (attempts to link access to education to the residency registration) ! specific situation of travelling persons belonging to national minorities and the importance of an integrated environment ! access to education imitations in relation to the absence of citizenship - School attendance ! absenteeism/low school attendance/withdrawal due to: unavailability of pre-school education for minority children (in the official language, but also in minority language) insufficient/inadequate school facilities (insufficiency of resources for the proper functioning of schools) difficult and dangerous access to the schools, insufficient/inadequate related services (transportation) parents' socio-economic problems reluctance of parents to send their children to kindergarten lack of confidence in the educational system 33