Roma children and the right to education in Serbia. Challenges and pathways to inclusion

Abstract

This thesis seeks to explore and elucidate three primary research questions concerning the Serbian education system's engagement with inclusion of Roma children. First question is how has the Serbian education system addressed the needs of Roma children? What are the policies and what is the practice? The second one is what were the mechanisms for safeguarding the right to education of Roma children since the early 2000s and by who? Does civil society have an impact on the institutions? The third question is what needs to be further developed and which actions need to be taken for Roma children from all groups to be fully and respectfully included in the education system in Serbia? What role do teachers and other students have concerning this goal? The results have shown that: numerous efforts were taken in order for Roma students to be included in quality education by both institutional bodies and civil society. Policies and affirmative action measures have greatly contributed to inclusion of Roma children in education, however the consistency and monitoring data to present the most accurate picture was and still is lacking. The civil society plays a great role and perhaps crucial in numerous cases of good practice pressuring the institutions to take actions that are written in the policies. Finally, the joint efforts of the institutions and the civil society, intercultural learning, economic empowerment and emancipation of all citizens are needed for inclusion of Roma in the education system in Serbia.