E/CN.4/2000/16/Add.1 page 17 With the liberalization of the economy, many Roma have found themselves without a job and without land because of the closing of numerous factories and the abolition of collective farming. 69. Only 50 per cent of Roma children go to school on a regular basis. They are not segregated in specialized establishments as they are in the Czech Republic, but the prevalence of anti-Roma feeling in schools, and particularly among many teachers, discourages parents from sending their children to school. Since teachers are assessed on the basis of the percentage of successful pupils, they tend to reject Roma children, fearing poor school results. 2. Daily prejudices and discrimination - the role of the media 70. The media tend to convey anti-Roma feelings, which became widespread among the population. Not only does the press often refer to the Roma as “beggars”, “dealers” and “illiterates”, but it draws attention to the Roma identity of persons involved in criminal activities, and the result is that the entire Roma minority is discredited. 71. Various representatives of Roma associations have taken umbrage at the fact that the Romanian Government continues to use the term “Gypsy” in its official documents, although they have stated that they consider this term hurtful and discriminatory. The persistence of prejudices is reflected in this anecdote reported by one of the Special Rapporteur’s contacts: during a conference, a Romanian government official allegedly expressed doubts in an aside regarding the origins of a representative of a Roma association on the grounds that he was elegant, educated (he was a sociologist) and probably free of any criminal record (sic). C. Measures taken by the Government 72. The Romanian Government has taken a great many measures politically, economically and socially to encourage the integration of the Roma. Thanks to wide-ranging educational reforms, several subjects are now better taught in Roma languages. Constant efforts are being made to achieve a wider recognition and better appreciation of Roma culture and to change the image of members of the Roma minority in society. The Government has already drafted a bill on the prohibition of all forms of racial discrimination, for submission to Parliament in the course of the year 2000. With the help of a two million Euro subsidy through the European Union FARE programme, the Government hopes to improve the Roma’s living conditions and further their integration. 1. Political and institutional measures 73. Like other minorities, Roma benefited from the democratic reform which ensured their political representation. Under the Constitution of Romania (art. 59.2) and the Electoral Law (Act No. 68 of 1992, arts. 4.1 and 4.5), there are seats in Parliament or, more specifically, in the Chamber of Deputies which are specifically reserved for organizations of citizens belonging to national minorities, the only conditions being that: the organizations concerned must be legally constituted, must participate in the elections, must not have won any deputy’s or senator’s seat in the elections, and must have won (nationwide) at least 5 per cent of the valid votes. Deputies’ seats allocated in this manner are additional to the regular total number of deputies in the Chamber of Deputies.