Case Study: School Desegregation in Vidin, Bulgaria

Section 3: Results

The Children's Grades

Tests conducted in all schools by the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science for the academic year prior to the desegregation project confirmed the serious discrepancies between the quality of education provided at the mainstream schools and the segregated "gypsy" school in Vidin. These tests provided Drom with the opportunity to measure the level of educational disadvantage experienced by the Romani children as a consequence of segregation against the progress they made in the course of one year in an integrated and responsive schooling environment. The table below shows both the increase in children participating in the program and the marks obtained and progress made from the end of the first term to the completion of the first school year:

In May 2001, tests were conducted by the Regional Education Inspectorate, together with Drom, in three of the Vidin schools. The purpose was to test the level of education of three distinct classes. The first group consisted of 100 percent Romani students (from the Roma school in Vidin); the second one of 100 percent non-Romani students; and the third consisted of an integrated class of Roma and non-Roma students. In their analysis and summary of the tests, Professors Christo Kyuchukov and Encho Gerganov found that the best results were obtained by the integrated class of Romani and non-Romani pupils.

The "Vidin Model"

At a major conference in Sofia in April 2001, the President of Bulgaria, Petar Stoyanov congratulated Drom on its success, and made special mention of Donka Panayotova for her tireless efforts to "motivate others through compassion and warmth." He expressed his hope that the example of Vidin will spread fast in the rest of Bulgaria.‡ This was a clear indication of the extent of the success of what had by then become widely known as the "Vidin Model."

Drom's priorities at the beginning of the school year were oriented towards integrating as many children as possible, motivating them, and enabling them to adjust to the new learning environment. By the end of the school year Drom was 100 percent successful in achieving these objectives. The number of students participating in the program increased from 275 to 460 by the beginning of the second school term. This reflected the growing trust and confidence within the Roma community, and the willingness of the authorities and institutions to facilitate the process of integration. The improved results the children achieved by the end of the first year provided concrete evidence of how well they had adjusted to the new educational environment, and how welcoming this new environment proved to be. The second school year began on an even more positive note, with over 600 children registered to attend mainstream schools, as well as the signing of an official concordat by Drom and the Vidin Municipality, the Regional Education Inspectorate, and the regional authorities.

The Vidin Model as outlined in this paper is one that can be replicated across Bulgaria. The importance of the preparatory phase cannot be overemphasized: raising awareness among Roma parents, media campaigning, and open dialogue with the authorities, the teachers, and the broader public were absolutely vital components in building partnerships in support of desegregation between Roma and non-Roma. Within Drom, teamwork and detailed planning, down to the finest detail, was essential because one of the organization's main concerns was the emotional and physical well-being of each child participating in the initiative—to ensure that the new educational experience would be both rewarding and enjoyable for them. At all stages Romani parents were closely involved in the process and for the first time they felt empowered to have some say in the education of their children. Their enthusiasm and active participation refuted the pervasive stereotype that Romani parents care little about their children's education.

Another distinctive feature of the Vidin Model was the efforts through the media campaign and public meetings to raise awareness and build consensus within the majority community around the issue of desegregation. The success of the initiative generated further positive national and international media coverage that projected a favorable image of the entire community of Vidin—Roma and non-Roma alike, the municipal and educational authorities, school directors, and staff—as forward-looking, well disposed, and committed to integration. This in turn served to further bolster and legitimize the process.

‡See the report of the conference "The Desegregation of 'Romani Schools' - A Condition for an Equal Start for Roma," Sofia, Bulgaria, April 27, 2001, published by the European Roma Rights Center and the Roma Participation Program.