This week, as I continued to dive deeper into the
International Step by Step Association, I stumbled upon a program that seemed
to go hand in hand with our current learning in this class. The name of the program is “A Good Start” and
they strive to achieve equality in access to education for one minority group
in particular, the Romani. The Romani
people are the largest minority group in Europe and are similar to our idea of
gypsies. They have their own language,
but it is not widely accepted in schools and public places of businesses. The Romani people are generally very
poor, and are therefore not receiving equal opportunities for early childhood education. “A Good Start” helps these families
by teaching their children the “accepted” language, whether it is Slovak,
Romanian, Hungarian, or some other Eastern European language. They also provide education to the parents on
the types of this their child needs to know to be ready for school. I watched a video, and it really brought to
life what these people are going through.
It seems that most parts of the world struggle with the same issues of
equity in quality education. Here are a
few quotes from the video that seemed to go hand in hand with what we have been
learning in this class:
"Breaking the cycle of
intergenerational poverty affecting Europe’s largest minority group begins with
a good start for thousands of Romani children.
An overwhelming body
of international evidence underscores the importance of early intervention –
from conception to age eight – on a child’s development.
New evidence from
countries like Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia points to the benefits of preschool
for Romani children.
Yet, the majority of
Romani children in Eastern Europe lack access to preschool.
Investing in early
childhood development and giving Romani children an equal start is smart
economics, with aging populations and shrinking labor forces, let fast-growing
Romani populations.
Like any poor,
disadvantaged child, Romani children should be provided with a free place in
kindergarten for at least two years.
National governments
can benefit from peer learning and can partner with civil society organizations
implementing innovative approaches.
Let’s break the cycle on intergenerational
poverty of Europe’s largest minority group, beginning with a good start for
thousands of Romani children."
Video can be viewed at:
http://www.romaeducationfund.hu/videos/good-start-country-videos-1
Rene,
ReplyDeleteThe Romani children are intriguing because it is now almost unheard of for people to live as nomads. The ISSA appear to be doing valuable work in helping them to get a good start on their education.
Rene, The Romani culture is romanticized by the media as seeking separation from the mainstream society. Did your investigation indicate if families were choosing to participate? And are the majority population welcoming?
ReplyDeleteThank you Rene,
ReplyDeleteThat was an amazing video. I'm sure the Romani people with benefit from greater inclusion in the mainstream society and still retain their unique culture.
Thanks for the great information. I had never heard about the Romani culture and it sounds like the A Good Start program will make a great deal of difference.
ReplyDelete