Framing education policies and transitions of Roma students in Europe

Abstract

The aim of this article is to identify the contexts and conditions that allow for successful education transitions and opportunities for the Roma minority in Europe. Thus far, transnational and national policies have failed to ensure Roma inclusion and education equality, even though some progress is visible. Using a combination of policy analysis and interviews with NGO and European Union actors, University academics and Roma students, the article examines the key contexts that frame education policies and create the necessary conditions for education transitions. It identifies the problems and challenges within the contemporary EU education policy frameworks and highlights the tensions between political rhetoric and policy commitments that are visible at national, transnational, and local levels. In addition, through a focus on individual student experiences, the article captures the lived reality of Roma students who have managed their education transitions with success.

Education reforms for inclusion? Interrogating policy-practice disjunctions in early childhood education in Bulgaria

“…In its report One in One Hundred, Harvard FXB Centre for Health and Human Rights (Bhabha et al, 2018) found that only one percent of the Roma students in Serbia continue on to college; the report stresses that "distinctive factors for educational success for the 1 percent are teachers' belief in a Romani student's intellectual capacity and teacher/peer support in facing discrimination" (p. 28). Similar findings are reported by Alexiadou (2019), who reflects on the critical role of mainstream teachers in the success of Roma students' educational transitions. Only one teacher in our study supported the government's reforms and expressed a belief in Roma children's abilities.…”

Help and Solidarity Interactions in Interactive Groups: A Case Study with Roma and Immigrant Preschoolers

“…For this to happen, the political agenda in education should be based on what research has shown to be effective for the inclusion of these populations (Kirova and Thorlakson 2015). Indeed, evidence-based policies have demonstrated greater effectiveness, especially when it comes to overcoming long-established education practices of segregation in several schooling environments (Alexiadou 2019). The evidence presented in this paper might contribute to the nearly 50 years of child development research, which informs a wide array of early childhood initiatives that improve the life prospects of vulnerable children (Shonkoff and Fisher 2013).…”

“…These results provide useful knowledge to inform the decisions and practices of ECE teachers as well as of policymakers based on research findings that contribute to impact positively in young children's school engagement and social relationships (Reyes et al 2012). This could contribute to ending long-established education practices of segregation that Roma and immigrant children face since the earliest school years (Alexiadou 2019). Hence, tackling these inequalities in education is key to achieve the global goal of ensuring high quality ECE for all and to set the foundations for a better society.…”

“…Indeed, this approach has particularly benefitted the education of Roma children, who face discrimination in school that leads towards high absenteeism and early school leaving (Kirova and Thorlakson 2015). According to Alexiadou (2019), Roma children often attend schools of poor quality, which implies that about 18% of Roma between 6-and 24 years-old, are placed in an educational level lower than that corresponding to their age, and often in segregated schools or classrooms. This reality has exacerbated the stereotypes and the deficit thinking approach towards the Roma, increasing the educational exclusion they have been suffering for centuries (Flecha and Soler 2013).…”

“…This may affect especially to Roma and immigrant children who are usually overrepresented in low-performing classrooms with low-quality interactions (Heller et al 2012). Frequently, they benefit less from high-quality teaching and learning and consequently struggle academically and show high dropout rates and school absenteeism (Alexiadou 2019). Therefore, it is necessary to explore educational settings that reverse this situation and promote successful learning for these groups.…”