Emerging from the cocoon of Romani pride: The first graduates of the Gandhi Secondary School in Hungary

Abstract

Despite recent educational reforms in Hungary, only 33% of Roma who enter primary school subsequently enroll in secondary school, and a mere 0.2% progress to higher education. To address this situation, in 1994 the Gandhi Secondary School opened its doors as the first college preparatory school for Roma in Europe. In 2000, the school graduated 18 of its original 56 students. Based on interviews conducted in 2004 with 10 of these students, two of the school's founders and two teachers, this paper documents the graduates' reflections on their experiences during high school and beyond. Data revealed that students found a second family at the school—indeed a protective cocoon—but did not always feel equipped to handle the racism they encountered later in both the workplace and university.