Early years

Early years

Early education

Early education

Health and Nutrition

Health and Nutrition

Protection and Care

Protection and Care

Primary school years

Primary school years

Access to quality education

Access to quality education

Roma children education

Roma children education

Gender mainstreaming in education

Gender mainstreaming in education

Children in institutions

Children in institutions

Violence, abuse and neglect

Violence, abuse and neglect

Children living on the streets

Children living on the streets

Adolescence

Adolescence

Trafficking and child labor

Trafficking and child labor

Juvenile justice

Juvenile justice

HIV/AIDS

HIV/AIDS

Drug use and sexually transmitted illnesses

Drug use and sexually transmitted illnesses

 

Roma children education

© UNICEF/Romania007/Bivol

Roma girl and boy at Roma festival

There are a number of social, economic, cultural and systemic causes resulting in non-enrolment, non-attendance and school drop-out among Roma children. Some child-related causes include: precarious health conditions, low learning motivation, gender-based differences (according to which girls get married early, and their social role is to raise children and take care of the family), poor self image and school results. Teachers report that some two thirds of Roma children who have dropped out showed a lack of interest in school, over 20% have attitudes of rejection or repugnance, and only 10% have a positive attitude. (Source: Roma Children Participation in Education – Problems, Solutions and Actors; 2002).

“Roma” school buildings are older and more overcrowded than other schools, and often lack a library. Such schools also have fewer qualified teachers and significantly higher teacher transfer rates, especially those for grades 1-4; 67% of “Roma” schools had a deficit of qualified teachers, and among schools with 50% or more Roma students this deficit exceeded 80%. (Source: Roma Children Participation in Education – Problems, Solutions and Actors; 2002).