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National Conference “The new Law on School Education and Educational Integration of Roma children” brought together representatives of fifty non-governmental organizations and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Science (MEYS). Virtually all groups of organizations with proven expertise on education of Roma children attended the conference. MEYS participation was also with no analogue in previous forums: the Ministry was represented by 6 participants, including the Chief Secretary Krassimir Valchev, Adviser to the Minister Ignatov on school education Asen Alexandrov, Anelia Andreeva (Head of working group preparing the draft), experts Z. Zarev, K. Kostov and E. Hristova. The conference was also attended by the National Coordinator of the Decade of Roma Inclusion Milen Milanov. Center for Educational Integration of Children and Students from Ethnic Minorities was represented by its Director Dr. Joseph Nunev and the NCCEDI - from its Vice President Georgi Krastev. The conference was initiated by Roma NGOs and organized by the Center Amalipe, supported from the Roma Education Fund.

In five hours the participants discussed proposals to the new Public Education Act prepared by Expert group composed of Rumyan Sechkov (Foundation CEGA) Rumyan Rusinov (Centre for public policy and advocacy), Kalina Bozheva (Interethnic Initiative for Human Rights), Stella Kostova (Roma Youth Organization - Sliven), Milena Ilieva ("World Without Borders), Maria Metodieva (Open Society Institute - Sofia), Emil Cohen (Bulgarian Helsinki Committee), Mladen Marchev (Association "Integro" - Razgrad), Dimitar Georgiev (Human Rights Project), Rumen Andreev (teacher) and Deyan Kolev (Center Amalipe - Veliko Tarnovo). The suggestions are directed to the draft of new Public Education Act, which MEYS announced in the end of April and aim at including the topic of educational integration of children and pupils from ethnic minorities in the legal act.

In his opening statement Deyan Kolev underlined that the submitted suggestions are a result of creative common efforts of a wide range of NGOs and experts, making them an expression of collective will of organizations working for educational integration of Roma children: "Among Roma organizations different views regarding the concrete steps for educational integration still exists, but they share common main priorities and these priorities defined our common suggestions" said Kolev. He pointed out that the organizations insist on several things: explicit text to support educational integration in Chapter 2 of the Act (outlining principles of state policy in education), introduction of state educational standards for educational integration of minorities (art. 12 stipulating State educational standards); inclusion of texts, ensuring education in ethnically mixed classes in places with mixed population and supporting the introduction of intercultural education (in the chapters on pre-school and school education); introduction of financial mechanisms to support the efforts of educational integration (the part of the financing system of education).

Statements in this direction were made by other members of the Expert group - Rumyan Rusinov, Rumyan Sechkov, Kalina Bozeva, Dimitar Georgiev. The proposals were supported by Joseph Nunev, who pointed out that in his publications and on different forums he did repeatedly offered similar texts.

"These are the most meaningful proposals we have received up to date and I congratulate the Roma organizations for this" – emphasized the Advisor to the Minister Ignatov and participant in the working group of MEYS, Asen Alexandrov. He noted that the Working Group is ready to accept most of the suggestions of Roma NGOs and invited representatives of Roma organizations to participate in a meeting of MEYS Working group at which to discuss the topic of educational integration. Anelia Andreeva (Head of the Working Group) stressed that the proposed by MEYS draft-law is not a final version, and aims to provoke constructive discussions among various groups involved in education and that the Roma organizations set a good example in this regard.

After intensive discussions the representatives of MEYS and Roma organizations agreed on the inclusion of special State educational standards for the integration of children from ethnic minorities, and inclusion of texts supporting intercultural education and education in ethnically mixed classes. Funding for activities on educational integration also will be supported by texts in the law. Participants negotiated representatives from NGOs included in the expert group, who has drafted proposals prepared, to participate in a special session of the Working Group to the MEYS to justify their proposals: this is going to happen until mid-June. At the end of the conference participants from the NGO sector signed common Statement.

A sign that MEYS will commit to the agreed during the forum was received immediately after its end. From the cabinet of minister Ignatov congratulated the participants for the substantial discussion and invited them to meet with the Minister on roundtable for educational integration in which they to submit their final proposals. Roundtable will be held on 12 June with participation of Minister Ignatov and Deputy Minister Kobzhabashieva.