CENTRE FOR REGIONAL STUDIES OF HUNGARIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES DISCUSSION PAPERS No. 53 Idealistic Vision or Reality? Life-long Learning Among the Romany Ethnic Groups by Éva G. FEKETE – Judit T. HARGITAI – Krisztina JÁSZ – Tibor SZARVÁK – Zsolt SZOBOSZLAI Series editor Zoltán GÁL Pécs 2006 Other contributors: Judit Palotai, assistant Dóra Szoboszlai, university student Tibor Sz őcs, instructor Zita Sz őcsné Kovács, instructor 70 survey assistants Project leader, editor: Zsolt Szoboszlai, sociologist ISSN 0238–2008 ISBN 10: 963 9052 69 8 ISBN 13: 978 963 9052 69 7 2006 by Centre for Regional Studies of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Technical editor: Ilona Csapó Printed in Hungary by Sümegi Nyomdaipari, Kereskedelmi és Szolgáltató Ltd., Pécs. 2 CONTENTS I Some characteristics of the Romany ethnic group in Hungary ................................... 7 1 The situation of the Romany ethnic groups in Hungary ......................................... 9 II Life-long learning: European practices of the model of life-long learning ............... 12 1 The model of life-long learning ............................................................................ 12 2 Summary of statements arising from the literature review ................................... 16 2.1 On life-long learning...................................................................................... 16 2.1.1 The necessity and concepts of life-long learning ................................ 16 2.1.2 European citizens and life-long learning.............................................. 18 2.1.3 Hungarian understanding and regulations of life-long learning........... 19 2.1.4 Typical motivating factors of life-long learning .................................. 22 2.1.5 Institutional bases of adult education................................................... 23 2.1.6 Financing adult education.................................................................... 24 III Characteristics and motivation of the Romany population........................................ 25 1 Are the social traps manageable? Analysis of the assessment of life-long learning ................................................................................................................. 25 1.1 The sampling procedure................................................................................. 26 1.2 Explanatory variables..................................................................................... 28 1.3 Characteristics of cultural capital................................................................... 33 1.3.1 Path models of passing on cultural capital........................................... 37 1.4 Assessment of life-long learning.................................................................... 40 1.4.1 Supporting factors................................................................................ 41 1.4.2 Hindering factors ................................................................................. 43 1.5 Attitudes relating to knowledge and skills ..................................................... 44 1.6 Cultural and information-communicational background ............................... 45 1.7 Employment issues ........................................................................................ 48 1.7.1 Mobility paths regarding employment................................................. 49 1.8 Summary........................................................................................................ 50 2. Changes in the mental attitude of the long-term unemployed Romanies excluded from the labour market after the change of regime................................ 52 2.1 The shock of the change of regime, masses of Romanies becoming unemployed after 1990................................................................................... 52 2.2 Consequences of becoming unemployed ....................................................... 54 2.3 Romanies in long-term unemployment .......................................................... 55 2.3.1 Role of social relationships.................................................................. 57 2.3.2 Impacts of long-term unemployment on health ................................... 57 2.3.3 Resources available for survival .......................................................... 57 2.3.4 Consequences of long-term unemployment......................................... 58 2.3.5 Discrimination ..................................................................................... 58 3 2.3.6 Ways of ensuring a living used during the period of unemployment ..................................................................................... 59 2.3.7 Ideas with regards to a fresh start......................................................... 59 2.3.8 Policy-type suggestions offered by the respondents ............................ 60 2.4 Results of the questionnaire survey on the “concept of hope”...................... 60 IV Romany population in the process of life-long learning ........................................... 65 1 Educational level of Romanies ............................................................................ 65 2 Unique characteristics originating from the Romany culture .............................. 68 3 Motivation to learn among Romanies................................................................... 68 4 Failure at school at its reasons among Romanies.................................................. 72 4.1 Nursery attendance......................................................................................... 74 4.2 Family background ........................................................................................ 74 4.3 Accessibility and equipment level of schools ................................................ 76 4.4 Inappropriately prepared teachers.................................................................. 76 4.5 Segregation, school practices......................................................................... 77 5 Characteristic features of Romanies in further education ..................................... 82 6 Romany participation in adult education and the relevant experience.................. 84 7 Government initiatives/programmes to motivate Romany groups to learn........... 85 8 Model programmes aimed at improving the educational level of Romanies........ 87 V Result of the government policies regarding Romanies............................................ 91 1 Government policies regarding Romanies............................................................ 91 2 Government actions .............................................................................................. 92 3 Latest government measures regarding education ................................................ 94 VI Government’s attitude and efforts in Romany affairs ............................................... 97 1 The positive and negative sides of the efforts towards Romany integration......... 97 2 Priorities and necessary actions ......................................................................... 100 3 Practice of educational mobility ......................................................................... 101 4 Dissemination of the practice of life-long learning............................................. 102 5 Role of digital knowledge and computing skills................................................. 105 6 Co-operations beyond ministries ........................................................................ 106 VII Recommendations ................................................................................................... 108 1 Highlights from the recommendations determined in the literature on life-long learning among Romanies.................................................................... 108 2 Further suggestions.............................................................................................. 111 References...................................................................................................................... 118 4 List of figures Figure 1 Typical residence of the Romany minority groups in the light of population and status of the settlement (with relation to distance from the centre of the cluster).................................................................................. 30 Figure 2 Age distribution of the Romany minority groups in Hungary......................... 31 Figure 3 Average household and per capita income in Romany families...................... 36 Figure 4 Path model of school mobility based on the sample of Romanies in rural Hungary.............................................................................................. 38 Figure 5 Reasons for not having Internet access at home.............................................. 47 List of tables Table 1 System of factors influencing the phases of life-long learning and research available ..................................................................................... 15 Table 2 Proclaiming national identity based on research among Romanies in the last few years (basic distribution), and correlation between employment and nationality in percentages .................................................... 32 Table 3 Analysis of the path model of school mobility in the various regions ............ 39 Table 4 Educational levels of the Romany population and the total population in the various age groups ...............................................................................