Quality Education for Roma: Quality Education for Roma: Ending the reproduction of social Ending the reproduction of social

inequalitiesinequalities

Mihai SurduMihai Surdu

Roma Education FundRoma Education Fund

Belgrade, June 2, 2009Belgrade, June 2, 2009

Quality of educationQuality of educationThe factors determining quality of education:

a) educational inputs (curricula, textbooks, school buildings, infrastructure etc.)

b) educational processes (teaching, classroom organization)

c) educational outcomes or pupils’achievement

School segregation School segregation and quality of educationand quality of education

Negative consequences associated with educational Negative consequences associated with educational segregation: segregation:

lower curricular standards lower curricular standards

poor school infrastructure conditions in neighboring Roma poor school infrastructure conditions in neighboring Roma schools and lack of educational facilities schools and lack of educational facilities

overcrowdingovercrowding

lack of qualified teachers for disciplines that provide lack of qualified teachers for disciplines that provide marketable skills such as foreign languages and ITmarketable skills such as foreign languages and IT

low expectations of teachers in regard with Roma pupilslow expectations of teachers in regard with Roma pupils

lack of parents’ trust in school institution and accordingly lack of parents’ trust in school institution and accordingly the low involvement in school activitiesthe low involvement in school activities

Access to and Quality of education Access to and Quality of education (1)(1)

Two closely interrelated issues as seen in the case of school and Two closely interrelated issues as seen in the case of school and classroom segregationclassroom segregation

Drop out and non enrolment it is a Drop out and non enrolment it is a rational choicerational choice when because when because segregation school is of a low qualitysegregation school is of a low quality

Empirical research shows that in almost all of the cases the school Empirical research shows that in almost all of the cases the school segregation is an issue of quality in terms of the 3 mentioned segregation is an issue of quality in terms of the 3 mentioned componentscomponents

It is an empirical fact of It is an empirical fact of fiction schoolsfiction schools, segregated Roma schools , segregated Roma schools existing only on the paper where both pupils and teachers are existing only on the paper where both pupils and teachers are absent in most of the school timeabsent in most of the school time

Those schools deliver pupils who don’t acquire the basic skills of Those schools deliver pupils who don’t acquire the basic skills of reading and writing even in the cycle of lower secondary reading and writing even in the cycle of lower secondary educationeducation

Access to and Quality of education Access to and Quality of education (2)(2)

Those schools instead of compensating for social Those schools instead of compensating for social disadvantage are amplifying it, are working for the disadvantage are amplifying it, are working for the reproduction of societal inequalities aiming to transform the reproduction of societal inequalities aiming to transform the Roma ethnic group in an underclassRoma ethnic group in an underclass

Pupils finishing segregated low quality schools even if Pupils finishing segregated low quality schools even if obtaining their diplomas cannot accede well paid jobs obtaining their diplomas cannot accede well paid jobs because lacking of skillsbecause lacking of skills

By school segregation the education systems in the region By school segregation the education systems in the region are reproducing a social structure in which many Roma are are reproducing a social structure in which many Roma are kept at the lower end in an unskilled occupations in the kept at the lower end in an unskilled occupations in the garbage industry or as seasonal workers in agriculture or garbage industry or as seasonal workers in agriculture or dependent on social benefitsdependent on social benefits

Why improving quality of education Why improving quality of education in segregated Roma schools in segregated Roma schools

does not work?does not work?Very high costs and lack of sustainability over the timeVery high costs and lack of sustainability over the time

High risks of segregated schools to come back to lower standards High risks of segregated schools to come back to lower standards after the end of projectsafter the end of projects

Most of the money invested in teacher training are lost because high Most of the money invested in teacher training are lost because high staff turnoverstaff turnover

Mistrust of the Roma parents due to a long history of Mistrust of the Roma parents due to a long history of underachievement in segregated schoolsunderachievement in segregated schools

Low expectations of the teachers remains prevalentLow expectations of the teachers remains prevalent

Stigma attached to pupils and teachers in segregated schools Stigma attached to pupils and teachers in segregated schools remainsremains

The experience shows that investing in segregated Roma schools does The experience shows that investing in segregated Roma schools does not significantly improve the school attendance, does not reduce the not significantly improve the school attendance, does not reduce the drop out and does not improve the school achievements.drop out and does not improve the school achievements.

REF approach of DesegregationREF approach of DesegregationHigh level of legitimacy in Roma communitiesHigh level of legitimacy in Roma communitiesSustainable access to better school infrastructure, qualified Sustainable access to better school infrastructure, qualified teachers and mainstream curriculumteachers and mainstream curriculumImproving the school attendance of Roma pupils and Improving the school attendance of Roma pupils and reducing consistently the drop outreducing consistently the drop outImproving school results of Roma pupils as demonstrated Improving school results of Roma pupils as demonstrated by research in Bulgaria and Hungaryby research in Bulgaria and HungaryThe pull up effect resulting from being together with The pull up effect resulting from being together with children from different socio economic backgrounds and children from different socio economic backgrounds and culturesculturesRaising expectations of teachers in regard with Roma pupils Raising expectations of teachers in regard with Roma pupils and their future school careerand their future school careerAvoiding stigma attached due to placement in a separate Avoiding stigma attached due to placement in a separate Roma class/school or a special schoolRoma class/school or a special schoolEconomic benefits for the society from the early investment Economic benefits for the society from the early investment in integrated education as shown by Hungary and Bulgarian in integrated education as shown by Hungary and Bulgarian researchesresearches

Evaluation of REF supported desegregation projects in Evaluation of REF supported desegregation projects in Bulgaria (BHC-REF 2008)Bulgaria (BHC-REF 2008)

Vidin Pleven Montana

Stara Zagora

Sliven Sofia Plovdiv Berkovitsa

Number of students in the project during 2006/2007

557 178 287 230 407 247 198 100

Number and percent of dropouts during 2006/2007

47 15 16 42 121 21 16 25

Average academic achievement 2006/2007

4.14 3.91 4.39 4.26 3.64 4.80 3.99

Average results at the BLL and Maths tests of participant Roma students from integrated

schools

Maths:14.19BLL:13.58

Maths:16BLL:15.5

Maths:15.14BLL:15.21

Maths:13.9BLL:12.3

Maths:11.07BLL:9.37

Maths:12.5BLL:9.06

Maths:11.91BLL:10.98

FOURTH GRADE EIGHTH GRADE

BASE CONTROL BASE CONTROL

Proportion of Roma students based on parents’ statements (%)

35 35 27 29

Proportion of Roma students based on teachers’ estimates (%, balanced against the number of students in classes)

34 36 27 33

Admission rates (%) after having finished grade 8 (with maturity at end)

Program Control Diff

All students 69 60 +9

Roma 49 37 +12

Non-Roma 77 70 +7

Disadvantaged 44 40 +4

Not disadvantaged 78 68 +10

Evaluation of the OOIH program, Hungary, Evaluation of the OOIH program, Hungary, 2005-20072005-2007Gabor Kezdi & Eva Suranyi, Central European University CEUGabor Kezdi & Eva Suranyi, Central European University CEU

Evaluation of the OOIH program, Hungary, 2005-2007(2)

The effect of the OOIH program is positive on: students reading skillson students admission to secondary schoolson students self-esteem, locus of control and copingon non-Roma students social distance from their Roma peers (smaller distance)

The effects are not very large but they are present in all dimensionsand they are positive for all kinds of students (Roma and non-Roma,

disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged)

The mechanisms are complexstudent-centered education and student autonomy seem important

Program sometimes (but not always) breaks the negative effect of student compositionin many cases results are strong only if fraction Roma stays below 30%inter-racial contact shown to always increase tolerance for non-Roma

What else outside the education What else outside the education system is nedeed?system is nedeed?

The legal approach of prohibiting segregation The legal approach of prohibiting segregation does not seems to produce the intended results does not seems to produce the intended results alone if not coupled with an active Roma civil alone if not coupled with an active Roma civil society to tackle the issue at the grassroots levelsociety to tackle the issue at the grassroots levelOn the other hand, when the Roma NGOs become On the other hand, when the Roma NGOs become implementers of the desegregation measures, implementers of the desegregation measures, their role and capacity for being the critical voice their role and capacity for being the critical voice is reducedis reducedMedia should be regarded as a potential influent Media should be regarded as a potential influent stakeholders in reducing the social distance and stakeholders in reducing the social distance and changing mental patterns in order to prepare the changing mental patterns in order to prepare the ground for desegregationground for desegregation

What else…?(2)What else…?(2)European Union pressures acted as an incentive European Union pressures acted as an incentive when when countries have been countries have been in pre accession stage. in pre accession stage. Once entered in the EU this pressure evaporates.Once entered in the EU this pressure evaporates.

The new pressures on member states in speeding The new pressures on member states in speeding and scaling up the desegregation process should and scaling up the desegregation process should be reflected in conditional ties put in spending be reflected in conditional ties put in spending the structural funds.the structural funds.

In the national legislations there should be In the national legislations there should be financial and administrative sanctions for financial and administrative sanctions for educational staff found to maintain or create educational staff found to maintain or create situations of classroom or school segregation.situations of classroom or school segregation.

Thank you for your attention!Thank you for your attention!

E-mail: E-mail: msurdu@romaeducationfund.org

Website: Website: http://romaeducationfund.hu/