In 2002, the government of Slovakia made provision for the introduction of preparatory (known as “zero grade” in Slovakia) year classes4 (see Chapter 4), for children who have not attended preschooling, most of whom are Roma, and for the employment of teaching assistants in primary schools. Amnesty International considers that, if systematically implemented, these measures could advance the realization of the right to education of Romani children. However, municipalities charged with responsibility for pre-school and primary education are not legally required to establish such preparatory (zero grade) classes or employ teaching assistants, and some have failed to do so. The government has also adopted a plan to reduce the number of Romani children attending special schools as part of Slovakia’s commitment to the Decade of Roma Inclusion in 2005-2015, a regional intergovernmental initiative to break the vicious cycle of poverty and exclusion experienced by Romani communities. In its August 2006 Manifesto, the new government of Slovakia elected in June 2006 has also made policy commitments to uphold human dignity and to integrate the Roma community in society through development programmes and efficient use of funding in education, culture, health care, social care, infrastructure, and housing. However, Amnesty International’s research, along with the findings of other bodies and experts, indicate that these measures have not sufficiently addressed the problem. In failing to take sufficient note of the systematic racism and discrimination faced by Romani communities in every aspect of their lives, the government has failed to oversee the implementation of these and other special measures it must take to meet its obligations under national and international law to respect, protect and fulfil the right to education of Romani children. For example, the provision of preparatory classes and teaching assistants remains entirely optional, and implementation is uneven at best. The national human rights body, the Slovak National Centre for Human Rights, warned the government in its 2005 report that primary schools were failing to implement measures aimed at the integration of all children. In addition, the government has failed to address systemic legal and policy failings which allow separate and unequal education of Romani children to continue. The criteria for the diversion of children into special schools continue to be opaque, the oversight of placement decisions is inadequate, and mechanisms for integrating children erroneously placed in special schools remain ineffective.