Abstract
The legislative principles that govern Romanian education, such as ensuring equal opportunities and social inclusion and focusing education on its beneficiaries, are tested by the real-life situation of Roma children and young people. The pandemic has put pressure on the educational system. The closure of schools from March 2020 and the forced transfer of teaching activities to an online format are increasing the problems faced by Roma children and young people, in many cases blocking their access to education due to technological constraints. Family support is essential for primary school students and particularly in the case of digital learning. Many Roma families are not interested in spending money on education, especially if, in addition, they are losing income that older children bring home. For educators, Dewey’s (1944) prediction has come true: ‘If we teach today’s students as we taught yesterday’s, we rob them of tomorrow’ (p.167). For Roma students, digital education means no education as teachers are unable to connect with them. In Romanian schools today, the curriculum contains a vast amount of information but is not correlated with students’ ability to understand the sheer volume of knowledge taught and the purpose it serves. According to the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment’s (PISA’s) 2018 results, 41% of Romanian students are functionally illiterate (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD], 2018). According to the results of a study based on an online questionnaire, which presupposes a degree of digital literacy, in 2020 32% of young people enrolled in pre-university education did not have exclusive individual access to a functional device (desktop, laptop, tablet); despite that online application supposed, also, that some of the family members have digital abilities. (Romanian Institute for Evaluation and Strategy [RIES], 2020) Through our study, we aim to reveal the series of current problems faced by the Roma ethnic group when attempting to access the educational system, presenting the perspectives of both educators and learners.
Highlights
According to the latest Romanian Census, the Roma population of Romania is approximately 3.1%, making it the second largest minority group after the Hungarian ethnicity
A 2007 study conducted by the Roma Education Fund highlights some problems in the Romanian educational system, including: Roma children have low enrolment rates in pre-school/kindergarten, and face severe enrolment barriers in primary education; there is a lack of adequate desegregation policies and enforcement measures; there are many Roma children in special education; unsupportive education, finance and management systems discriminate against children from poor families; extensive disparities exist in the quality of education due to different curriculum standards; Roma culture is not well recognised in schools and school curricula; and multicultural education rarely forms part of teacher education or in-service training [4]
Education and lifelong learning, with a focus on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and digital skills, are the only sustainable measures for a healthy labour market and a prosperous economy (PwC, 2018). From this perspective it is important for Roma children to have access to a quality educational system than to learn the minority language and culture in school
Summary
According to the latest Romanian Census, the Roma population of Romania is approximately 3.1%, making it the second largest minority group after the Hungarian ethnicity. The state ensures that Romanian citizens have equal access to all levels and forms of pre-university and higher education, as well as to lifelong learning, without any discrimination [3] These legislative principles are challenged by the actual situation. Forced targeting of Roma children to follow a particular educational route is highlighted by the opening of low-quality primary, lower secondary and vocational training schools close to Roma settlements. This encourages Roma students to view short-term vocational training as providing their best educational outcome, whereas, in reality, it gives them very little or no prospect of a future professional career. At least 40% of the population aged 30–34 to % of have completed populat tertiary or ion equivalent aged
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