Pathways to early school leaving in Hungary: Ethnicised inequalities in education and the case of Roma youth

This chapter shows how the increasing school failures and frequent symptoms of educational disengagement of poor Roma students are shaped by the multiplicity of intersecting structural, institutional and personal factors. The discussion reveals that ethno-social segregation within and between schools deprives Roma students of quality education and also of equal opportunities for a successful educational career. In this chapter, we demonstrate how a highly selective meritocratic competition squeezes Roma students into the lowest-quality segment of vocational training that the majority leaves behind ahead of time, that is, when reaching the compulsory age at their sixteenth birthday. Widespread prejudices amongst teachers and non-Roma parents accentuated by the malfunctions of free choice of school induce exclusion of Roma children, while responsibilities of their school failures tend to be shifted solely to their families. An insight into the everyday circumstances of deep poverty and the lack of basic facilities in support of schooling shed light on the conditions that cannot be overcome by the families alone. In conclusion, the chapter argues that the case of Roma educational exclusion and early school leaving should be brought into the forefront of public discourse and, through this way, assist the development of potent tools for combating the phenomenon.