Hungarian Publishing House Publishes Discriminatory Textbook

11 March 2005

According to a September 22, 2004 report by the Budapest-based Roma Press Center (RSK), the Apáczai Csere János publishing company published a textbook called Etika for use in Hungarian schools, which contains racist stereotypes about Roma. Etika, which is intended for 13- and 14-year-old students, refers to Roma as people who can hardly resist committing crimes and who burden society by living on social assistance. The RSK quoted Mr Tamás Szabados of Hungary's Ministry of Education as having stated that some 25,000 copies of the textbook have been distributed to schools despite the Ministry's finding that it is degrading for Roma.

(RSK)