Inclusion of Roma Children into Education in Slovenia: The Language Competence and Culture Dimensions

Abstract

Language and culture variables strongly intervene in the social inclusion process in education. Grater rate of school failure and higher numbers of school out-drops of children from minority groups can be attributed to the language competence issues, and, at least when Roma children are concerned, also to the cultural mismatch. Allocation of languages as media of instruction and as subjects of curriculum, contributing to either social inclusion or exclusion, is strongly dependent on a country's language policy strategy. On the one hand, in the educational process, (depending on the nature of the school programme in view of strong, i.e. minority language supporting or weak, i.e. minority language stigmatizing models), the learner's native tongue can be taken into consideration or disregarded. On the other hand, in many cases, an appropriate didactic approach to the L2 teaching and learning, i.e. to acquisition of the language of instruction, is systematically lacking. Proficiency in L1 and L2 being a strong factor with both, the school achievement as well as the integration of minority children, they are deprived on both dimensions when the language issues are disregarded or inappropriately treated. The study is focused on the language aspects of the inclusion of Roma children into the Slovene school system. After theoretical frame on the role of language(s) in social inclusion, a brief insight into the policy of social inclusion in education in Slovenia in general, as presented in legal and basic strategy documents, is followed by discussion of the inclusion documents related to the Roma community, rounded up by presentation of mayor findings of studies and projects dealing primarily with the language dimension of the inclusion of the Roma in education. The effectiveness of the prescribed measures is illustrated by pointing to the findings of evaluation studies and projects. In concluding remarks, an attempt is made to draw out some possible recommendations regarding the language dimension of the social inclusion of Roma children in education.