The Integration of Socially Disadvantaged Pupils in the Czech Republic: A Qualitative View on a Quantitative Phenomenon

Abstract

The term “socially disadvantaged pupils” defines those children from family environments that have low social and economic standards and are potentially endangered by socially pathological phenomena. Romani children make up the largest such group in the Czech Republic. Whereas in the 1991 census 33,489 Romani declared their Romani nationality, only 11,746 did so in the 2001 census, representing only approximately 0.3% of the total population. In fact the actual numbers are higher, as many hesitate to declare their Romani nationality for various reasons. NGOs estimate there are about 275,000 Romani, which represents approximately 2.7% of the total population. Czech law forbids public administration institutions (which include schools) to maintain evidence of national minorities, or to obtain, administer or make use of personal data that is somehow related to national minority inclusion. The authors attempted to analyze the circumstances of Romani pupils both in schools and families. The data was gained through all involved parties: Romani assistants, as well as teachers and students tutoring Romani families during the course of the Home Tutor project. This approach allowed us to view the problems of Romani pupil education in its natural background. The analysis is presented in the form of open coding; it describes key categories that were identified, using longer text analysis

Citation

Němec, J. and Gulová, L. (2012), "The Integration of Socially Disadvantaged Pupils in the Czech Republic: A Qualitative View on a Quantitative Phenomenon", Visser, J., Daniels, H. and Cole, T. (Ed.) Transforming Troubled Lives: Strategies and Interventions for Children with Social, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties (International Perspectives on Inclusive Education, Vol. 2), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 161-173. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1479-3636(2012)0000002013