A/HRC/31/CRP.2 41. An important point emphasized by the Brazilian participants in the workshop was that the cultural contribution of Roma to Brazilian society is highly undervalued. Participants also noted that some educational books still included on the curriculum contain pejorative and stereotypical depictions of Roma. They called for educational materials to be vetted, and for all such examples to be removed from curricula throughout the country. 42. Access to schooling and discrimination in schools on the basis of students’ Roma identity were also raised by the participants from Brazil. 43. Representatives from Chile emphasized that their communities face many of the same social and economic problems identified by the participants from other countries across Latin America. In particular, they noted the difficulties faced by Roma children in accessing education due to discrimination on the basis of their Roma identity. 44. One of the participants noted that in order for him to keep his son enrolled in school, it became obvious that he would have to hide his son’s Roma identity. The only solution was to give a non-Roma friend power of attorney over his son. This enabled the friend to enrol him in a private school in order for him to continue his education. Both parents believed that if they had tried to enrol their son directly, his Roma identity would have precluded his acceptance into the school. 45. Participants from Colombia noted the specific problems faced by Colombian Roma in accessing education, including higher education, as well as the lack of birth registration for Roma babies and children, which leaves them vulnerable. 46. Similarly, participants from Ecuador reiterated the challenges Roma children face in accessing public schools due to the level of discrimination. This problem is compounded by the lack of birth certificates for some Roma children. D. Health services and birth registration 47. The health of Roma is a matter of significant concern throughout the region. The lack of specific data means that there is little official information on the health status of Roma communities, but many participants indicated that there are significant barriers to Roma accessing health care services. 48. A related concern is the lack of birth registration or citizenship documentation afforded to Roma children in some of the countries in the region, for a variety of reasons. This lack of formal documents limits access to basic public services such as health and education, as well as other social benefits. 49. Participants from Brazil noted that Roma often encounter difficulties in obtaining identity documentation, including the official health cards, and therefore in getting access not only to basic health services, but also to emergency treatment or vaccination programmes. 50. Participants from Ecuador noted that access to health care remains an issue. Roma experience discrimination at clinics and, for example, new parents are often unable to obtain basic vaccines for their babies. E. Housing 51. The Special Rapporteur received information that Roma communities continue to face challenges in accessing adequate housing. This issue was raised in a number of jurisdictions as affecting those Roma who continue to travel, causing difficulties in finding adequate sites on which to camp and leading to discrimination by the authorities and 10