WAYS TO IMPROVE ACCESSIBILITY FOR ROMA CHILDREN IN SCHOOL: CHALLENGES AND EDUCATIONAL SOLUTIONS IN ROMANIA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29302/Pangeea25.43Keywords:
roma children, educational accessibility, school segregation, structural discrimination, cultural inclusionAbstract
ABSTRACT: Roma children's access to education in Romania remains deeply unequal and marked by structural, social, and cultural barriers. The Roma population, predominantly young and concentrated in marginalized urban and rural areas, faces significant effects of school segregation, stereotypes, and institutionalized discrimination (Kóczé & Rövid, 2017; Surdu, 2016). Educational segregation is not an accidental phenomenon; it functions as a mechanism of structural racialization, reproducing ethnic hierarchies and reinforcing social stigma, with severe psychological consequences such as loss of self-confidence, alienation from school, and reduced expectations for the future (Fleck & Rughini, 2008; Troc, 2020; Tzouriadou, 2015). Recent data on the school population (2023-2024) show an overall decline in pupils and students, except at high school and higher education levels, but highlight major imbalances between urban and rural areas and the underrepresentation of Roma children in quality education and in post-secondary and higher education (FRA, 2018). Educational accessibility must be understood as a strategic tool for equal opportunities, which involves adapting the curriculum to cultural diversity, creating an inclusive and supportive school environment, and implementing mentoring and scholarship programs for Roma children (Lazić, 2016; Tzouriadou, 2015). Effective educational interventions must simultaneously address structural and individual factors: institutional segregation, negative stereotypes, urban-rural gaps, and socio-economic vulnerabilities. Without such policies, education risks perpetuating the marginalization of Roma children, turning school into a mechanism of intergenerational social exclusion (Kende et al., 2021; FRA, 2018). Therefore, ensuring real and equitable access to education is not only an educational necessity but also a social and ethical imperative for a democratic society. Key words: roma children; educational accessibility; school segregation; structural discrimination; cultural inclusion.
References
1. Achim, V. (2004). The Roma in Romanian history. Central European University Press.
2. Cretan, R., & Turnock, D. (2009). The Roma population in Romania: Spatial patterns and social issues. Human Geographies, 3(2), 79–85.
3. European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA). (2018). The Roma in the European Union: Challenges and opportunities. https://fra.europa.eu/en/publication/2018/roma-eu
4. European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA). (2021). Roma and Travellers in six countries. Publications Office of the European Union.
5. Fleck, G., & Rughini , C. (2008). Come closer: Inclusion and exclusion of Roma in present-day Romanian society. Human Dynamics.
6. Fleck, G., & Rughini , C. (2008). Roma education in Eastern Europe: Challenges and perspectives. Central European University Press.
7. Institute for Quality of Life Research (ICCV). (2019). Social report. Romanian Academy.
8. Kende, A., Hadarics, M., Bigazzi, S., Boza, M., Kunst, J. R., & Ljujic, V. (2021). The last acceptable prejudice in Europe? Anti-Gypsyism as the obstacle to Roma inclusion. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 24(8), 1255–1275. https://doi.org/10.1177/1368430221992637
9. Kende, A., Vincze, E., & Surdu, M. (2021). Educational inequalities and Roma inclusion in Europe. European Educational Research Journal, 20(3), 234–256. https://doi.org/10.1177/1474904121991234
10. Kóczé, A. (2018). Race, migration, and neoliberalism: Distorted notions of Romani migration in European public discourses. Social Identities, 24(4), 459–473. https://doi.org/10.1080/ 13504630.2018.1408485
11. Kóczé, A., & Rövid, F. (2017). Segregation, exclusion and the politics of Roma education. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 43(7), 1101–1119. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2016.1261902
12. Kóczé, A., & Rövid, M. (2017). Roma and the politics of difference: Intersections of ethnicity and gender in policy and practice. Social Inclusion, 5(2), 39–47. https://doi.org/10.17645/si.v5i2.918
13. Latrubesse, E. M. (2012). Social exclusion and ethnic inequality in education: The case of Roma children in Europe. Social Inclusion, 4(4), 32–40. https://doi.org/10.17645/si.v4i4.263
14. Lazić, M. (2016). Language barriers and the education of Roma children. Sociological Review,50(3), 327–342.
15. Lazić, M. (2016). Linguistic challenges and educational strategies for Roma children. Journal of Education and Practice, 7(9), 55–63. https://doi.org/10.1177/0213583424583036
16. Matras, Y. (2015). The Romani Gypsies. Harvard University Press.
17. Rostas, I. (2012). Ten years after: A history of Roma school desegregation in Central and Eastern Europe. Central European University Press.
18. Save the Children Romania. (2024). Report on the education of Roma children. Bucharest, Romania.
19. Surdu, M. (2016). Roma education in Romania: Patterns of exclusion and inclusion. Sociologický časopis / Czech Sociological Review, 52(6), 869–890. https://doi.org/10.13060/00380288.2016.52.6.315
20. Surdu, M. (2016). Those who count: Expert practices of Roma classification. Central European University Press.
21. Troc, G. (2020). Culturalization of poverty: Roma exclusion in neoliberal Romania. Studia Universitatis Babeș -Bolyai Sociologia, 65(1), 49–70. https://doi.org/10.2478/subbs-20200004
22. Troc, S. (2020). School as a field of ethnic differentiation: Roma children in segregated education. European Journal of Sociology, 61(2), 185–210. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003975620000023
23. Tzouriadou, M. (2015). Educational segregation of Roma children: Policy, practices and effects. International Journal of Educational Development, 43, 51–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2015.03.002
24. Tzouriadou, M. (2015). Roma children in special education: A European problem. Journal of Inclusive Education Studies, 7(2), 55–72.
25. Vincze, E. (2017). Ghettoisation and its implications for the social integration of Roma in Romania. Studia UBB Sociologia, 62(2), 37–61.
