Abstract
This paper will discuss the rationale of a group of Norwegian Roma who have resisted the government’s attempts to educate them since the early 1960s. Behind the scenes these Roma claim that a school education is irrelevant for their children yet, when faced with school authorities, they comply. The authorities have used different approaches to promote education for Rom children however, their success is questionable. So what is at stake here? What is wrong with education from the Roma’s point of view and how do the authorities respond? This article opens with a presentation of the history and background of the Norwegian Roma. It then presents the Norwegian system of public primary and lower secondary education and their attempts to accommodate Rom children. It critically examines the concept of education and the unquestioned and self-evident understanding of schooling as a liberating force per se. It further makes use of Bourdieu’s analysis of symbolic capital and habitus and discusses the Roma’s resistance to education and why symbolic capital developed through public school education is not converted to the Rom field.
Highlights
In school reports on the education of Gypsy1 children during the 1960s in Norway, teachers enthusiastically write comments like: “Gabriela wants to be a hairdresser and Radu wants to become a firefighter” and comment that education will help them achieve their goals2
This paper will discuss the rationale of a group of Norwegian Roma who have resisted the government’s diverse attempts to educate them since the early 1960s
Behind the scenes these Roma claim that a school education is irrelevant for their children yet, when faced with school authorities, they comply
Summary
In school reports on the education of Gypsy children during the 1960s in Norway, teachers enthusiastically write comments like: “Gabriela wants to be a hairdresser and Radu wants to become a firefighter” and comment that education will help them achieve their goals. As a result of these notions and expectations, projects and programs to incorporate, assimilate or integrate the Rom population in Norway have been contradictory This is in line with general contradictions in policies towards minorities and points to the weak understanding of the personal, relational and emotional aspects of culture. The data from my work and research among Roma in Norway and in Romania is the empirical basis for this paper; together with official reports from 1960 to present day and three master thesis’ on education of Rom children by Anette Fuglevik (2014), Kristine Bjørndal (2014) and MarenJohanne Nordby (2013). These have been invaluable for my work with this article
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
