The Roma community of Europe continues to face discrimination in a number of areas, notably education, employment, healthcare, and housing. In an increasingly knowledge-based economy, education provides one of the primary tools for escaping the cycle of poverty that traps many Roma families, and therefore it is one of the most pressing issues that must be addressed in the European Union (EU). In this article, the author discusses how the EU addresses the educational needs of the Roma community. Access to proper education has the potential to change the circumstances of the Roma entirely by promoting consistent and meaningful employment. However, states must be willing to adopt new policies on education. The continued marginalization of the Roma creates a situation in which Europe is losing a major source of creativity and social contribution. By delaying the possibility for a real social inclusion of this minority population, governments are continuously losing the social and economic capital the Roma can offer. Desegregation of schools and social inclusion of children is one of the first steps to integrating the Roma population. However, the educational system must change first in order to be effective. (Contains 9 notes.)