«Роми просто не хочуть вчитися!» Пояснюємо, чому це брехня і стереотип

The discrimination of Romanis is, indeed, common. And it is a phenomenon existing everywhere. Due to this prejudice, we are unable to change the situation for the better. Romaphobia does not allow to receive education, and hence get a job. Therefore, it is difficult to ensure a decent level of life, as the kids are unable to receive education. 

We proceed with investigating into issues preventing Romani children from gaining education. 

Even before the war, Romani parents were inclined to send their children to specialised Romani schools. Such decisions were made also due to fear that their children might experience discrimination. It was also due to the fact that, in order to enrol a child at a Romani school, one did not have to prepare so many documents as were required to enrol at a generic general education school. And thus we face the first obstacle: the paper bureaucracy. 

What does one need to enrol a child at a school?

Check out for yourselves. In order to enrol a child as a first-grader, you need to submit the following documents:

• child’s birth certificate (the original and a copy);
• application requesting that the child be enrolled, filled in by a parent or the child’s legal representative/custodian;
• applicant’s passport/ID;
• medical reference No. 086-1/o (original);
• immunisation card: form No. 063/o;
• document confirming that the child does indeed reside in the school’s district.

The Internally Displaced Persons (internal refugees) also need an IDP ID. This may be downloaded from the Diia app. That, however, does not make the situation easier if no one in the family has a smartphone-type gadget. 

Today, a number of education institutions study remotely or in a mixed mode. Hence, one needs appropriate equipment and internet, stable electric power, for the child to be able to attend classes. 

At the same time, the family income does not allow them to create conditions for online studies. There might be, for instance, a single mobile phone in a family of five. 

What does statistics tell us?

Authors of the Monitoring of Implementation of Romani Youth’s Right to Access to Education in Ukraine state that over a half respondent declare an income of below 2,500 UAH/persons per month. Certain others declare an income of about 4,000 UAH/month. There are also those who turned out to be unable to perform a calculation of their income. The full-scale invasion has worsened their material stance; some have even lost their jobs. 

Authors of a poll entitled Condition of Romanis during the war in Ukraine have revealed that 75.6% of their respondents from Romani families had no gadgets which could be used by children to study online.

The respondents have also replied as to how has their level of income changed after the full-scale Russian invasion: 

• 41.3% have declared no income at the moment;
• 29.3% have said that their household income has decreased as compared with before the full-scale war;
• 17.8% were working before the war. 

«Romanis always move from place to place, hence their children do not attend school».  Another stereotype here

Most (76%) Romani households were not nomadic before the 24th of February, 2022 and did not change their place of abode. After (since) the 24th of February, 2022, though, 47% of them have moved to another location at least once. This also impacted their access to education.  We should thereby also consider the fact that many Ukrainians, too, have moved at least once since the outbreak of the full-scale war. So nomadic life does not correlate with access to education. 

That said, parents do state that they would want their children to get higher education. Materially, however, they cannot afford it.  There are too few state-funded places for students, too, and prospective Romani students lack proper knowledge to get good results at the national testing campaign.

The situation is somewhat better with access to technical/vocational schools (community colleges), as they offer more state-funded places for prospective students. But these institutions are mostly attended by boys, as girls marry young, give birth to children, and then they have no time for that anymore. 

This problem seems to be easy to resolve: by enrolling with national or local support programmes, by providing assistance with furnishing documents. There are training courses preparing you to enrol… Plenty of options here. But what can we talk about if most respondents have stated that they have never been offered social assistance. 

And then, we see news reports covering a campaign by social workers cruising across dysfunctional families and removing kids etc. So it is just easier to resort to punitive methods than it is to find a solution? 

Let us keep on dismantling the thesis stating that Romanis are themselves unwilling to study. 55.3% of respondents within the poll entitled Condition of Romanis during the war in Ukraine have stated that they would be happy to study and master new specialities. 60.3% of these have stated that they would be interested in working in the beauty industry.

Everyday difficulties, however, do not allow them to make these dreams come true. The community is still need in welfare. 91.6% of the respondents have stated that their priority number one is food. Priority number two (89.87%) is financial assistance. 

Another (19.1%) chunk of respondents has also stated that they are in need of legal counsel and in need of transportation (16.1%).

Let us recall the Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Basic physiological needs (food including)  are at the bottom level. How can one discuss education and development then, if basic vital needs have not been provided? 

Are Romanis indeed unwilling to learn? Who has come to such a conclusion? Is it just easier to justify one’s inaction that way? 

The Romanis do have a wish to learn, to study. They do realise how important education is. They do indeed strive for a better life for their children. But… the reality is cruel and wish alone does not suffice. One needs resources and guidance. One needs a change in the attitude. And the latter is the easiest thing we can resort to. Why not discard the prejudice imposed upon by the empire?