Ankstyvo romų vaikų pasitraukimo iš švietimo sistemos prevencija: švietimo ir socialinės politikos sąveika ; Prevention of early withdrawal of the romany children from schools : connecting education and social policy measures

Abstract

The paper presents findings of statistical analysis, a two-year-long ethnographic research and qualitative interviews in a primary school in Vilnius and in the Kirtimai the Romany settlement. Politically, low education level of the Romany in Lithuania is considered to be one of the main reasons for their exclusion from labour market and, consequently, society in general. The dominant discourse of failure of the Romany children to succeed in school has repeatedly stressed individual-cultural reasons (lack of work ethics, lack of engagement with curriculum, prioritisation of other activities, etc.), yet the closer look at the education field shows a more complicated picture of dropping-out from school as early as primary level. The author argues that it is important to analyse difficulties that children face in school and how parents, teachers and social workers are able to solve these problems. It is argued that reasons of early withdrawal of the Romany children from school are mainly socio-economic, yet the role of social workers in prevention process has so far been negligible.