Education and the Gypsy People of Australia: The Untold Story

Abstract

From an insider's perspective, this study investigates the attitudes of two groups of Australian Roma, Lovara and Ganeśti towards formal education. It also examines guiding principles and underlying attitudes of the Australian Government policies and laws pertinent to the types of difficulties experienced by the Rom in Australia. The methodological approach adopted was the ethnographic case study which involved an in-depth examination of two familia from different vitsa. The tools used were participant observation and key informant interviews. The initial use of these two families with later interviews with the wider Romani population was to facilitate extrapolation of the data to a wider usage. Although the two families appeared to have different views on education and its value, on closer inspection it was found that the main differences were on the surface, that the deeper convictions remained the same. The key informants from both families used the same arguments to justify both their views on education and the extent of formal schooling their children should receive. As the researcher, I have a profound personal interest in furthering the education of the Rom. The gaining of literacy skills is important, not just for the children, but for the adults also. As a member of the Romani community, I have been able to casually observe and participate in developments and dilemmas arising over many years. Reporting on incidents through Romani eyes has brought a new perspective to the age-old problem of illiteracy. The incidents related in the case studies span some forty years and they illustrate that few substantial changes in the character of the education system in Australia have really occurred over that period.