Case Study: School Desegregation in Vidin, Bulgaria

Section 2: Drom and the Campaign to Desegregate

Attitudes and Perceptions: Parents, Children, Educators, and the Authorities

Before turning to the attitudes of the different groups involved in the process, it is important to define one of the main obstacles facing Drom at the very outset of the project in the summer of 2000. Decades of isolation, institutional racism, and the lack of any real notion of informed parental choice had resulted in a deep inertia and fatalism with regard to education provision. This was compounded by a sense in the community that "the Roma school has 'educated' several generations of Roma, and no matter how bad it is, it is still our school. It belongs to our neighborhood." From the outset, Drom had to break the inertia, and the feeling that it was somehow inevitable that children attend the segregated school, by showing that there was a real possibility for a better educational future for Romani children.

The Romani Parents

While the official unemployment rate in the Vidin region is 27 percent, for Roma it is about 70 percent. Extreme poverty, compounded by residential segregation and a lack of educational and employment opportunities, deepened the sense of isolation from mainstream society experienced by Roma. The result of this was that in Vidin many Roma were at first skeptical about the desegregation initiative or the possibility of it succeeding. However, following the initial house-to-house visits by the Drom supervisors, many parents were convinced, and when the school year began, on September 15, 2000, 275 Roma children began attending the six mainstream schools in Vidin.

Regular monthly meetings were held between the staff of Drom and the Romani parents. During these meetings the parents were given updates on the progress made by the children, with discussions covering any problems the children encountered and how they were adjusting to the new environment. Special seminars were provided for the parents by education experts dealing with topics such as the role of the school in society, how schools are managed, new teaching methods, and parental involvement in children's educational development. In addition, they attended a training seminar led by Dr. Netov, the psychologist, on attitudes towards "difficult" children, methods of decision making, and personality skills development. A training course was also organized for parents by one of the schools, "P.R. Slaveikov," in partnership with Drom, to familiarize the parents with the curriculum and learning requirements for each grade. One of the most interesting outcomes of this was that about 35 parents were motivated to enroll at the school as adult learners. In addition to these organized sessions, the parents and supervisors developed close personal contacts and cooperated closely on a day-to-day informal basis in overseeing the children's development and progress.

At the end of February 2001, Drom organized a meeting between the parents and the school directors. The parents expressed their satisfaction and support for the desegregation process. They were happy that the children had adjusted so well to the new and welcoming environment and with the progress the children had made in the first term. One of the most significant outcomes was the inclusion of Romani parents in the School Councils of the "Ss. Cyril and Methodius" and "Tzar Simeon Veliki" high schools. This was an unprecedented development in the history of Vidin.

One of the most important factors in the success of the launch and first phase of the desegregation process was that the parents were highly motivated by being directly involved at every stage. In addition to the close contact with the team at Drom, the new and remarkable partnership formed between Romani parents and the staff and directors of the mainstream schools consolidated and legitimated the process among Roma and non-Roma alike.

The School Authorities

At the beginning of the school year, Drom organized a meeting between the directors of all six schools, the coordinators, and the supervisors to present a detailed account of their strategy and to coordinate activities for the coming year. The directors agreed to give the supervisors office space within each of the schools.

On November 17, Drom hosted a seminar entitled "New Approaches in the Education of Roma Children." The participants included the Chief of the Regional Inspectorate of the Ministry of Education and Science; the Vice Mayor of Vidin Municipality; officials from the education, public relations, and regional development departments of the municipality; school directors; parents; and media representatives. This event was very successfu in provoking discussions and adding an impetus towards building partnerships with a shared goal to improve the quality of education and support for the process of desegregation. As a result of the seminar, Drom held further meetings with the school staff and, importantly, with the teachers working with the newly integrated classes. Formal agreements for cooperation were signed between Drom, the Regional Education Inspectorate, and the school directors for further organizational and educational support for the process. In December 2000 and January 2001, Drom, in cooperation with the Inspectorate, held a series of training seminars for the teachers on multicultural education, ethnic tolerance, and the history and culture of minority groups.

In December 2000, teachers of literature, math, and foreign languages began working with Drom to provide individual supplementary tuition for those children who needed extra support. The supervisors, together with the teachers, drew up monthly monitoring and progress reports for each of the children in the desegregation project, enabling them to respond immediately and assist any child encountering difficulties.

Through a process of dialogue and partnership, the teachers became highly motivated and committed to the success of the project. They responded enthusiastically to the challenge and unique opportunity of working with ethnically mixed groups of children. Their positive reaction and commitment was a key factor in the success of the desegregation process.

The Local Authorities

From the very outset of the desegregation initiative Drom tried to establish a dialogue with the local authorities of Vidin, inviting them to the various roundtable discussions it held. Relationships were difficult at the outset because the authorities attempted to obstruct the process. The authorities wanted Drom to cede full control of the desegregation activities to them. Drom refused to do this, as the authorities had a close relationship with the management of the segregated Roma school. Instead, through public and media campaigning, and by building a broad coalition of civil society actors, educators, and the staff and directors of the mainstream schools, Drom succeeded in legitimating the desegregation process. Such was the success of the process, and the national and international media attention it attracted, that in October 2001 the Vidin municipality pledged its official support for desegregation by signing public agreements with Drom, the Regional Education Inspectorate, and regional governmental authorities.

Romani Children

One of the major concerns of everybody involved in the desegregation initiative was the emotional welfare of the children—that they would not suffer any stress or humiliation in the new schooling environment. Due to the attention of the supervisors and the positive attitude of the teachers involved, the process of adaptation was remarkably smooth. It became obvious very soon that the children enjoyed the change and thrived in their new learning environments. The students were distributed in six mainstream schools in Vidin, on the basis that there not be more than 30 percent of students of Roma origin in any one class.

Free school materials, such as supplementary texts, notebooks, pens, and pencils, were provided for 220 children from the most impoverished backgrounds. Extra tuition was provided for the children to enable them to meet the required educational standards. Preparatory training was also provided for three seventh grade students to compete for places in the two elite secondary schools. One of them, Boris Nikolov, succeeded in winning a place at the prestigious Mathematics High School.

Drom also organized a host of extracurricular activities designed to bring Romani and non-Romani children together outside of the classroom and integrate the Roma children into the wider Vidin community. In cooperation with the Regional Inspectorate of the Ministry of Education and Science, Drom ran a competition for the "Most Tolerant Class." The criteria were defined in accordance with International Tolerance Year 2000. A special committee, including staff members from the school, the Inspectorate, and Drom, selected the winners. This helped to create a whole new spirit of togetherness. The prize for the winning classes was a one-week vacation in the mountains of Berkovitsa together. Two parents—one Roma and one Bulgarian—from each class were invited to help with the organization. As a result of these activities, for the first time, Roma and non-Roma, children and adults alike, were really together in their studies, games, excursions, and entertainment for a week.

During the winter vacation, another training camp in the mountains of Berkovitsa was organized (January 2-6, 2001) for those children who were experiencing difficulties in languages, math, and literature. Additional Bulgarian language tuition was provided by 10 teachers from the Vidin schools. English language classes were organized in two groups, and taught by US Peace Corps volunteers. Professor Christo Kyuchukov was invited to deliver a series of lectures for the teachers.

In March 2001, the Drom desegregation team was invited to open classes in all schools that had Roma students. This was a moment of celebration, not only for the staff of Drom, but also for the children themselves. The school directors acknowledged the contribution of the desegregation process in improving the attendance and the grades of all the students, Roma and non-Roma alike. On April 8, Drom organized celebrations of the International Day of the Roma in Vidin. The participants were predominantly children from the desegregation project. In July 2001, Drom organized a summer camp for children from the desegregation program who finished the school year with excellent marks.

From the outset of the project, it was understood that the emotional security and well being of each child was paramount to the success of the desegregation process. In addition to educational support and incentives, extracurricular activities played a vital role in brining Roma and non-Roma together in such a way that the integration process involved the whole community.