Identifying solutions to promote the education of children in Roma communities

• Author: Codrina Csesznek
• Position: Transilvania University of Brasov
• Pages: 85-96

Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşo v

Series VII: Social Sciences • Law • Vol. 11 (60) No. 1 - 2018

IDENTIFYING SOLUTIONS TO PROMOTE THE

EDUCATION OF CHILDREN IN ROMA

COMMUNITIES

Codrina CSESZNEK1

Abstract: The issue of Roma education is widely addressed in the recent

sociological literature. Many studies seek to identify the best solutions for

increasing the access to education for Roma children. In this article I present

the results of a study conducted in Brasov County, Romania, based on the

collection of qualitative data (interviews and focus group) in ten local

communities with a significant number of Roma population. The identified

solutions are of two types: those that are already applied and give positive

results and those which, in our respondents' opinion, could represent

effective measures of social policies at local and national level.

Key words: Roma children, education, local and national solutions.

1. Introduction

The Roma education issue is a well-known and widely discussed subject in the

literature of the last decades. Roma, the largest minority group in Europe, historically

have faced widespread poverty, racism and social disadvantages (Janevic et al., 2011;

Paraschivescu, 2012). The number of Roma in Europe is estimated between seven and

nine million and most are living in Central and Eastern Europe, where they have a long

history of social exclusion (Rechel et al, 2009).

During the post-socialist transition, Roma population faced a period of increasing

poverty and socio-economic backwardness, living as a real „underclass” (Janevic et al.,

2011). The „Roma issue” has become a focus for international policies, which aim to

improve the life conditions of this minority (Ruzicka, 2012).

An important indicator of the Roma population’s socio -economic precariousness is the

low level of education. Many recent sociological studies deal with this issue and their

conclusions are similar: only 30-40% of Roma citizens attend school; adult illiteracy rates

are very high (over 50%); the Roma children involvement in pre-primary and primary

school is considerably lower than the one of non-Roma children; only a p ercentage of

0,6% of Roma young people completed higher education (Paraschivescu, 2012; Macura-

Milanovic, 2013; Pasca, 2014).

1 Transilvania University of Braşov, codrina.csesznek@unitbv.ro