Overcoming mutual bias between Teachers and the ROMA Community

Can we state that at least some educators are biased against Roma students and their families?

Yes, there are multiple examples of stereotypes and prejudice against this particular community; implicit bias takes many shapes and forms and potentially nobody is immune.

But what if it is not a one-way street? I would argue that lots of Roma families are equally biased against authority at any level - schools included - and that certainly aggravates the situation.

Let’s look at some possible reasons for that and see if a better understanding of them can help us lessen their impact on education.

As members of the Roma community, these particular families have most likely been subject to systematic discriminatory practices and policies in different European countries. We should understand that Roma generally face significant challenges in trusting government and public institutions. This distrust stems from a long and painful history of prejudice, exclusion, persecution and violence.

Some families may have negative experiences with social services, especially if social workers incorrectly assume that poverty is accompanied with neglect and harshly criticise the parents.

All of this has led to feelings of marginalisation and a lack of confidence in the fairness and impartiality of government services. As a result, Roma have a deep-seated distrust of authorities, mainstream society and institutions, including schools, and display a great degree of reluctance to engage with any services. They most likely do not understand the British educational system, might experience fear towards schools or not trust the intentions of the educators.

We all know that the law is very strict: it states that all children must be in full-time education and parents in England have a legal duty to ensure that happens.

Yet new school attendance rules - although aiming to support families with attendance issues - have brought increased fines for unauthorised absences and may appear to focus on punishing parents, using the most recent national framework for penalty notices. Lots of schools will admit that Roma families are among the worst offenders when it comes to attendance.

We all agree that schooling plays a significant role in equipping youngsters with the knowledge, skills and opportunities that contribute to success in life.

Yet absolutely all Roma mothers I have ever spoken to are convinced that any child is too young to be at school at the age of four, and to spend up to six and a half hours per day away from their closest family. Besides, in most European countries, the official age for starting compulsory primary school is 6 years old, in some it is 7, and that makes the UK system look particularly harsh.

Some families also fear that learning a second language too early can lead to a loss of the native language. For lots of Roma children, English could be their third or fourth language but has all the chances of becoming their main one if they start school early enough. It will certainly be the language for reading and writing but I would strongly urge all educators to support and encourage oral literacy in the native tongue, at home. The benefits of that are countless.

We also need to understand that there are families who prioritise traditional family values and skills, potentially leading to a perception that formal education is less important than acquiring practical skills within the family, particularly for girls. Many feel their culture and way of life are not recognised or affirmed within the education system. In their opinion, teachers sometimes display a lack of understanding and cultural sensitivity and may appear very cold, strict and rigid in their ways.

Roma children often arrive at school with limited proficiency in English, not enough maths skills or no prior schooling experience, further hindering their success. Consequently, the educational attainment of Roma children remains significantly lower when compared to the majority population - and that’s where some teachers can feel very reserved about such newcomers in their classroom.

Some may unknowingly hold lower expectations for students from marginalised groups, assuming they will not achieve as much as other students.

Some may not understand that these children in most cases have very limited access to educational resources - be it the absence of stationery at home or their parents’ inability to help them with homework in English.

Some still fail to view Roma pupils as a specific ethnic group with their own challenges but also with their own unique heritage and amazing experiences that bring such a diversity to our classrooms.

There are families who value education and see it as a path to social mobility and improved opportunities and we can and should capitalise on that. But ultimately, no parents want their children to feel unwelcome or unsafe in any educational setting and it is up to school professionals to bridge the gap, to establish trust and to prove to parents that school is the place for their child to thrive.

It is important to persuade the parents in the most positive way that being at school will help their children and it is our job as educators to make that experience not only meaningful but also enjoyable.

So teachers not only have to conquer their own biases but also help parents to overcome theirs. Education is not a one-way street and we are in charge of the progress of those we lead.

Finding a balanced approach might not be easy but it is vital to keep trying.

Julia Moore EAL Lead,
Whitehouse Community Primary,
Ipswich