Attitudes of School Teachers about Roma Inclusion in Education, A Case Study of Vojvodina, Serbia

Abstract

Roma in Serbia still do not have equal access to quality education. Roma children are more increasingly present in the school system in Serbia, which shows that there is a trend in decreasing differences among pupils. Inclusion should make education more accessible and of better quality for Roma children. Serbia is on the right track to achieve this. It started with introducing Roma assistants in teaching, who would help Roma children fit into the educational system. The introduction of elements of national cultures, including Romani, would make schooling much more attractive to Roma children, because it would reflect their living environment and contribute to a better acceptance of Roma children by other children and teachers. The first part of the paper with descriptive method tells about the status of the Roma in Serbia and their problems in education, as well as ways to improve the conditions of their education. Statistical method was used to display present and situation in past. Experimental part of this paper demonstrates attitudes of primary and secondary school teachers in Novi Sad, the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, about the inclusion of Roma children in education.