In Cyprus, Roma represent a very small indigenous cultural group of 1250 citizens, representing about 0.15 per cent of the total 854.802 population of Cyprus (European Commission, 2019) with the same citizenship rights as the majority group but with distinct cultural and religious traditions. Roma of Cyprus are considered, according to the Cypriot constitution, members of the Turkish-Cypriot community possibly due to their common religion (Islam) and their (assumed) common language. They are better known as Cigani or Tsingani, and arrived on the island in the 14th century CE. Most Cypriot Roma are referred to as Muslim Roma called “Ghurbeti.” Greek Orthodox Christian Roma, called “Mandi,” were fewer in numbers. 

Lacking access to social services funds and provisions for medical treatment, education or work, Roma were considered –at least until very recently- to be largely ignored, avoided and kept on the margins of the local society as victims of prejudice and low educational achievement in both parts of the divided country. Moreover, even though Roma are considered as Cypriot citizens, they live in extreme poverty with a low degree of integration and civic participation, thus facing until today major difficulties especially in housing and employment. Some Roma live in abandoned by their initial owners Turkish-Cypriot houses, while others in prefabricated houses in specially designated settlements in rural and segregated areas (FRANET, 2012). Roma of Cyprus face also widespread prejudice and discrimination in all areas of life (ECRI, 2011). At the latest EU published survey on the perceptions of minorities in the EU (Eurobarometer, May 2019), Cyprus citizens appear in various questions below the EU average of self-reported beliefs and attitudes towards Roma, including appearing the fifth from the bottom across EU in feeling comfortable in having a Roma in the highest elected political position (with the Netherlands and the UK appearing double positive than the Cypriots).  

Roma in Cyprus still appear to endure educational marginalisation and teachers’ attitudes towards them appear rather complex, entailing several nuances that distinguish the experiences of Roma children in the school (Symeou & Karagiorgi, 2018). School enrolment, attendance and completion among Roma in Cyprus has followed in the last decade the trends of some other European countries, namely that there have been an increase of the enrolment rate of Roma at all school levels, and in consequence a decrease of school drop-out has been observed. However, despite a ten-year compulsory education system and social service incentives aiming at retaining Roma children in school, the rate if early school leaving among Roma in Cyprus remains high and only a few Roma attend secondary education and even fewer complete compulsory lower secondary education. In addition, attendance and completion of upper secondary education among Roma of Cyprus remains extremely low, whereas university education has not been achieved yet by any Roma in Cyprus (European Commission, 2019).

This paper describes the latest developments in the Greek-Cypriot education system concerning the school education of Roma; it reviews the existing empirical studies in the field as well as local and European reports describing the school education of Roma in the Greek-Cypriot education system, and critically reflects on the current relevant educational practice and policies. It concludes by suggesting possible reform measures that would enhance Roma children school inclusion and success.

This paper reviews the existing empirical studies in the field as well as local and European reports describing the school education of Roma in the Greek-Cypriot education system, and critically reflects on the current relevant educational practice and policies. It concludes by suggesting possible reform measures that would enhance Roma children school inclusion and success.

In Cyprus, Roma social and financial conditions appear to directly link to Roma children’s school attendance and the discouragement of Roma children viewing school as a needed priority. It appears that the reasons that many Roma families in Cyprus demonstrate interrupted school and early school drop-out or with even withdrawal of their children from school often has less to do with not wanting their children to receive school education but far more to do with out of school circumstances (financial, living and work circumstances, cultural issues, etc.) and particularly with concerns about the school institution itself. The financial situation and living condition of Roma families seems to link to their children’s school attendance, as Roma parents cannot cope with their children’s basic needs and particularly, cannot acquire all the necessary school supplies and expected home conditions for their children. This leads Roma to the discouragement of seeing school as a priority for their children. It is thus suggested that among the major factors that contribute to the early school drop-out of Roma children is the distance and inconsistency between the Roma family and the local community environments on the one hand and the school environment and its workings on the other. Therefore, any call for action for Roma children’s school inclusion, and for the adoption of strategies to establish equal opportunities for Roma in schools, the rhetoric of Roma integration needs to shift from integration to inclusion, and exclusion needs to be addressed. This needs to be done not only as a social inclusion framework which needs not to underestimate the major issues of antigypsism, discrimination and racism. All initiatives need to address mainly antigypsyism, discrimination as well as socio-economic inclusion. These measures need to be targeted for Roma to be responsive to their specific needs.

ECRI (2011). Report on Cyprus. Available at: https://www.coe.int/t/dghl/monitoring/ecri/Country-by-country/Cyprus/CYP-CbC-IV-2011-020-ENG.pdf European Commission (2019). Country summaries on EU Member States. Annex 1 of the Commission staff working document ‘Roma inclusion measures reported under the EU Framework for NRIS (SWD (2019) 320, 5 September 2019) accompanying the document ‘Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee of the Regions’ Report on the implementation of National Roma Integration Strategies 2019. COM (2019) 406, 5 September 2019. Brussels: Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers. Eurobarometer (2019). Special Eurobarometer 493-“Discrimination in the European Union”. Fieldwork: May 2019. FRANET (2012). National Focal Point Social Thematic Study The situation of Roma. Available at: http://fra.europa.eu/sites/default/files/situation-of-roma-2012-cy.pdf Symeou, L. & Karagiorgi, Y. (2018). Culturally aware but not yet ready to teach the ‘Others’: Reflections on a Roma education teacher training programme. Journal of Multicultural Education, 12(4).