Examination of the Participation of Roma Families in the Educational System: Difficulties and Successful Practices

Discrimination faced by Roma students leads to high rates of academic failure and school dropout while structural barriers continue to hinder their inclusion in the education system. Educational research shows that the engagement of families contributes to inclusion, academic success, and improvement of the quality of education. However, educational barriers and school segregation practices show the traditional deficiency of effective tools to promote family participation among the Roma population. Understanding the barriers that Roma families find to participate in the educational system involves the examination of complex processes and dynamics that we observe in practice and the role of the different actors in the schooling of Roma students. Schools as Learning Communities provide the democratic scenario to develop the type of relational and collaborative conditions that help both educators and families to participate in successful educational actions linked to school performance. The development of family engagement action plans connected to student achievement and the incorporation of the perspectives of Roma families can successfully increase their opportunities and expectations in the education system.