Preschool Education of Romani Children in Southern Serbia: A Case Study
Preschool Education of Romani Children in Southern Serbia: A Case Study

Summary/Abstract: The Roma represents one of the major ethnolinguistic minorities in Serbia. Due to a number of economic and social reasons, only 2% of Romani children enter preschools, and less than 40% become part of the overall formal education system. For the purpose of this research, a sociolinguistic case study was conducted in two municipalities in southern Serbia. The objective was to identify reasons for poor academic achievements of Romani children, and to see whether there exists a correlation between educational failure and levels of linguistic and cultural competences in Serbian as the language of education. A conclusion was drawn that, aside from nurturing Romani as L1 in preschool education, a comprehensive introduction to Serbian as the language of education is one of the key factors contributing to positive academic achievements of Romani children in Serbia, and the first step in the overall education system that should not be missed.

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