Description of the situation

The lack of space at school, discrimination, and the rejection of the parents to enroll the children to school, are the reasons that 53% of Roma children do not attend school this year.

But even in the situation where all the conditions are respected, the schools are too far away from the camps and the parents don’t have the money to pay for the transport.

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.fr/2012/09/12/gouvernement-circulaires-en-faveur-scolarisation-enfants-roms_n_1876860.html

 

Between the numerous deportations and the lack of transport, Roma children are in the situation where they cannot finish the scholastic year. In order to fix this problem, the French ONG created some “school trucks” which go to the Roma camps every week to educate the children. There is a blue truck for the nursery, green for primary, and yellow for college. The lessons are taught by specialized teachers and the truck is endowed with all school necessities: a blackboard, a computer, paintings for the artistic class and books.

 

According to Pierre Boisseleau, one of the teachers, the children have a very big lack of knowledge in reading and writing in French, but they are very interested in learning and they are waiting for the truck every time with great enthusiasm.

 

Roma people should be supported, for other they should be educated and trained and viewed as a future support for the French economy and the French labour.

 

The main aim of the French government is to adopt a global approach of the support to the Roma in the fields of education, employment, accommodation and health.

In conclusion, all these measures taken by the French government and NGOs should have a positive outcome in the next years and the situation of the Roma integration should improve, but at the moment, the situation of Roma people in France balances between integration and rejection.

 

References:

FRANCE INFO, 2013, Scolarisation des enfants roms : des camions-écoles dans le Nord, [online], France, France Info, 2 octobre 2013, available at : http://www.franceinfo.fr/emission/Unknown%20token%20emisaison-type-url/noeud-diffusion-temporaire-pour-le-nid-source-1161711-05-05-2014-11-47

 

NUNGESSER G., 2013, Etude du Dihal sur les campements Roms en France, study analysis, France, NIHAL, 2013, 22p