Shunned as society's outcasts, Roma will be given more places in schools and higher education, Romania's education minister says.

Andrei Marga said he would introduce "a mechanism of positive discrimination favoring Roma in state education institutions,".

Marga said Friday he would set aside places in schools, professional schools and higher education institutes for Roma.

"Their number is growing but many of them are unqualified, which could produce negative social results," Marga said.

Officially, there are less than half a million Roma living in Romania. However many do not register their race because of discrimination, and they are thought to number as many as 3 million.

Under communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, Roma were obliged to attend school. Since 1989 when communism collapsed, that is no longer the case, and Romani leaders report that illiteracy and crime have risen.