By: Nidhi Trehan
Paper, 1995
"How Does It Feel to be a Problem?" -- the 'unasked question' by W.E.B. Dubois
Much has been written about the social and legal disadvantages that the Romani populations of Europe face today in the changing political and economic face of Central and Eastern Europe. The educational disadvantages which ultimately translate into poor employment opportunities have also been well documented. Given the well established premise in Europe today that the State is responsible for the education of its citizenry, the next step is to analyse which programs and/or reforms the governments of the region can initiate to address these disadvantages, including the de facto educational segregation of the Romani minority. In this piece focus will be placed on the policies of the Hungarian state with respect to Romani children's education. Since 1985, the government of Hungary has initiated a spate of reforms in education which allow for alternative schooling as well as innovative pilot projects spearheaded by various non-governmental organisations (NGOs). In 1992 the Hungarian government financed the creation of Gandhi Foundation in order to establish the nation's first secondary school (gimnázium) for disadvantaged youth (primarily Romani youth). While the Hungarian state's experiences can offer lessons vis-a-vis Romani education, a commitment to the training of specialists in the field as well as sponsoring further research in the specific developmental (linguistic, etc.) needs of Romani children needs to be made. In addition, better coordination with regional and local educational bodies needs to be initiated so that the top-down structure of the Hungarian educational system takes into account local realities.
EDUCATIONAL SEGREGATION: MYTH OR REALITY?
While "educational segregation" may seem strongly worded and conjure up images of apartheid in South Africa or of the separate schools for African-American pupils prior to Brown v. Board of Education in the United States, this phenomenon continues to exist in Hungary. The remedial schools in which many Roma have been placed because the educational system has failed to address their needs are a poignant example of this form of segregation. Though detailed studies have not been performed, it is estimated that between 40-50% of the students in remedial education programs in Hungary are of Romani origin. This means that a highly disproportionate number of Roma are beginning their academic lives on an unequal footing with their non-Roma peers, and many Romani activists believe this is tantamount to cultural genocide.
There are a number of reasons why Romani children have difficulty in adjusting to Hungarian elementary schools, and are thus shifted to "special schools". For approximately 30% of these children, the language of instruction in the school (Hungarian) is not their mother tongue. Linguistic experts and child psychology experts agree that for this cohort of children, the learning of basic Hungarian grammar and other exercises at the smaller grades is problematic unless some form of mother tongue instruction is included in the curriculum. This could come in the form of tales and nursery rhymes in both Romani (or Beash) and Hungarian for the younger children so that the transition for the home language to that of the school is a smooth one. There has already been a pilot project attempted in the town of Kiskunhalas under the auspices of the County Pedagogical Institute of Kecskemét. Engineered by Ms. Kate Oppelt back in 1990, the results of this program clearly indicate that teaching Romani along with Hungarian in the classroom increased educational success as well as improved relations between educators and parents. Furthermore, it improved community relations as ethnic Hungarians were exposed to Romani culture, and gained and appreciation for it. Learning from the results of bilingual educational programs could be of benefit for Hungarian educators as well (for example, the Spanish/English projects in Florida, California, Texas and New York). For these programs to be successful, both the parents and specially trained teachers must be fully behind them.
Kindergartens not only provide 'day-care' services for working mothers, they are also opportunities for the young ones to learn socialisation skills within Hungarian society. The low attendance of Romani children in the óvoda or kindergartens of Hungary places them at another disadvantage. Many Romani mothers prefer to care for their children in the home or to leave them in the care of relatives. From the Romani perspective, learning socialisation skills within the family is equally, if not more important than school-based learning.
While some Romani children do have learning disabilities, the studies indicate other reasons for why Romani students remain at the bottom of the educational status quo. For many Romani children, attending schools (which are for the most part run by non-Roma) can be a frightening experience. The cultural values of the school are starkly different from those taught in the home and many are suspicious of the influence of the school upon their children. Moreover, many Romani parents object to the incorporation of Romani in the classroom because they fear it will actually disadvantage their child's Hungarian language acquisition. In fact, study after study on bilingual education reveals just the opposite. Inclusion of the mother tongue actually enhances learning ability of a second language as the child gains confidence in his/her learning. 8% of Roma are Beash (an old form of Rumanian language) speakers. For them too, it would be logical and practical to incorporate lessons and stories in the Beash language right from the preschool level. Particularly in the south-western counties of Zala, Somogy, tolna, Baranya, etc., Romani children could reap great benefits from this progressive form of instruction. There is a small Sinti speaking minority as well, and bilingual instruction could be attempted in some of the Sinti villages in western Hungary.
For the 70% of the Romani children who are monolingual Hungarian speakers, various handicaps arise when it comes to succeeding in the mainstream educational system. For those children from poor households, the purchasing of clothing and school supplies inhibits them as they may face ridicule by their peers if their appearance is different. Young children intuitively sense the tone and respect with which a person is addressed depending on their appearance. Another problem is the cultural gap. The majority of school teachers are ethnic Hungarians who know precious little about Romani cultural practices such as the relatively strict separation between male and female roles. They also bring into the classroom certain biases which are manifested in how they speak to or look at a child. Children are highly sensitive to body language and tone. Sometimes such prejudice reaches blatant proportions when a teacher asks a child to sit at the back of the class or singles out a child for ridicule in from of his/her peers. The child may eventually lose interest in the school and in learning by the school methods, thus becoming a natural candidate for remedial education. Research on remedial schools and their effectiveness should be a top priority for the Ministry of Education and Culture.
In Budapest, some of the inner city schools have special programs for the instruction of Romani children. In the 8th district, there is a school for Romani children where the majority of teachers are ethnic Hungarian. The few Roma that become certified teachers usually get recruited into other fields which are more lucrative (such as in administration or politics). Nevertheless, teachers' training programs for young secondary-school educated Roma could be initiated.
GENERAL DATA ON ROMANI PUPILS' ACHIEVEMENT
According to a study sponsored by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Sociology, and researched by István Kemény, Gábor Havas and Gábor Kertesi completed in 1994, there are about 550,000 Roma or about 5% of the population of Hungary. In 1971, 39% of the Romani population of Hungary over the age of 14 was said to be illiterate according to a representative data survey. The 1993 survey recorded an increase in literacy among the Roma but still confirmed the widening gap between the Romani and non-Romani population (p.8). The new data reveals that 76,5% of the 25-29 age cohort finished elementary school (8 years in duration in Hungary), while this rate among the 50-54 year old generation (aged 28-32 in 1971) is 30%.
Upon completion of elementary training, a pupil is tracked in several ways: vocational schools (szakiskolák); secondary schools (gimnáziumok); grammar schools (college preparatory schools). Of the total number of students completing eight years of elementary school, which was approximately 57% of the Romani population, 35% continued their education. Out of this number, the majority are tracked in vocational programs, usually completing a course of training resulting in a certificate whose market value is questionable. Indeed, in many parts of Central and Eastern Europe today, the vocational education programs are considered outdated and in need of reform.
As in Western European nations, the correlation between education and unemployment is rather strong in Hungary. In 1993, the unemployment rate in Hungary was 13,3%. Out of this figure it was estimated that those citizens having completed 6-7 grades had an unemployment rate of 43,6% while for those having a university degree it was 3,7%. Another indicator of academic achievement is the school drop-out rate, which for Roma is 40%, and for non-Roma is 14%. Furthermore, Kemeny, Kertesi, and Havas make a troubling observation. The rate of those Roma who finished secondary school who are in the 50-54 age group is 1,1% and that for the 20-24 generation is 1,2% an almost negligible difference. Basically, "this means that the chance for continuation of studies has not changed since 1971" (p. 10.)
Financially speaking, under the socialist regimes, students from disadvantaged backgrounds had better opportunities to attend higher education. Today, in Hungary, with the changes in state-funded education, and the budgetary cuts in academia, it seems likely that Romani students who wish to pursue a university degree will face even greater obstacles that before. However, there are now several NGOs as well as private foundations who can provide supplemental income for these students. The real question is one of access to these funds. How will the average Romani student learn of these opportunities? As of today, only 0,6% of the Roma population is attending university.
INNOVATIVE EDUCATIONAL VENTURES
1. County Pedagogical Institute, Kecskemét
Based on seven years of research which studied the use of 'Romani children's vernacular for more effective development of personality, this project relies on the premise that it is necessary to use the child's vernacular and simultaneously incorporate the Romani culture into the classroom. It also sought to discover and develop the values and talents of the children. The activities included teacher training programme for kindergarten teachers, including pedagogical, psychological and methodological training; introducing them to the Romani culture, customs and education, and placing emphasis on teaching them Romani. Another important element was the creation of drafts for personality development in kindergartens taking into account the customs, communication habits and various talents of the children (including but not limited to dancing, singing, music, etc.). The language development program was based on the 1000 most commonly used words. Visual aids such as pictures were used to help the children expend their language skills from the word level to the sentence level. Perhaps most significantly, the majority of children who participated in this program were successful in their primary school exams.
2. Csenyete, Schools (Primary and Elementary Schools)
In a little secluded village which time (as well as the Hungarian Government) has forgotten, the Csenyéte Foundation education project is taking place, Director Ladányi János, a sociologist begun his efforts with the goal of bringing hope to this economically depressed rural area and its people.
Facts on the elementary program: As of July 1995 there were 3 sessions to the afternoon, and 2 in the morning with between 13-17 students in each session. There are also merged sessions. This was for the 1-4 grades which the school serves. Currently, money is being raised for a 4th classroom. The demographic growth figures for this area are noteworthy. While in 1990, the age colorit of children ages 6-10 contained only 9 children, today, in 1995 there are at least 40 children in that colorit. Each session is 45 minutes long.
Unfortunately, only a few area parents are active participants in the school's work and progress.
A new óvoda or pre-school has also been built recently. The teachers were all Hungarian. There does not appear to be any program for Romani language instruction as most of the Roma here are presumably monolingual Hungarian speakers.
3. Gandhi-School
Located to Baranya County, this primarily Beash Roma college preparatory school was initiated for disadvantaged Hungarian students in 1993. As an alternative school for students who otherwise would not have the opportunity to prepare for university, this school lays strong emphasis on the language and cultures of Romani people (both Beash and Romani are taught). The students also study the history and traditions of Romani and Beash communities in Hungary besides general such as Hungarian history, literature, science, mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, etc. In addition, mythology, philosophy, sociology, psychology, and film studies courses are offered. In the school catalogue, it's mission is clearly defined. "We believe it is absolutely necessary to promote the development of a well-educated, professional, and self-confident Gypsy intelligentsia, whose members will be able to define and defend their cultural identity". Unfortunately, the past year at the school was mired in politics and many of the original teaching staff is no longer with the program. The establishment of a teachers' orientation program in the early weeks would be of great benefit. The teachers should be exposed to the Romani and Beash languages as well as the cultural backgrounds of their students in order to facilitate more effective teaching in the classroom.