Equality of opportunity in education requires the equal provision of educational services to all segments of society. In this respect, countries legally guarantee equality of opportunity in education. However, not all individuals can benefit equally from the right to education, which is one of the most fundamental rights of the individual. Disadvantaged students need help with access to education and attendance at school. Especially, Romani students have significant educational problems (Alvarez, et al., 2016; Çiftçi, 2019; Díaz-Vicario, Asparó, & Ceacero, 2019; Kumcagiz et al., 2018; Okutan & Turgut, 2018; Sarıtaş & Çoban, 2022).

The main problem of Romani students is school absenteeism and dropout (Kumcağız et al., 2018; Mercan-Uzun & Tüm, 2015; Tor, 2017). Economic conditions and the perception of exclusion constitute an obstacle to education for Romani children (Ministry of Family and Social Policies, 2016; Çiftçi, 2019; Kumcagiz et al., 2018; Okutan & Turgut, 2018). Another obstacle is families who care less about their children and children's education (Çiftçi, 2019; Sarıtaş & Çoban, 2022). The inability to access qualified schools, the inadequacy of study environments, and the lack of people who can get support in their classes cause them to stay away from school (Genç, et al., 2015). For these reasons, these children prefer to start working early to help their families or marry at a young age. In other words, Romani children are both isolated from social life, and their poverty in the family continues in a cycle (Okutan & Turgut, 2018).

In order to prevent these problems, the factors that will bind them to the school should be investigated. This study focuses on the tendency to drop out of school, which is one of the most critical problems of Romani students. The research aims to reveal the relationship between the tendency to drop out of school and the social support students perceive from their families, teachers, and friends and their school happiness. This study will contribute to the literature as it focuses on the relationship between the variables that affect the school dropout of Romani children. Thus, scientific suggestions for Romani students will be presented regarding school-based practices and general education policies.

In this regard, the aims of the study are stated below:

1. What is the level of school dropout tendencies, perceived social support, and school happiness of Romani students?

2. Is there a significant relationship between the perceived social support and school happiness of Romani students and their tendency to drop out?

3. Are the perceived social support, school happiness, and demographic characteristics of Romani students a significant predictor of their tendency to drop out?

This study is a correlational survey model. The study's dependent variable is the tendency to drop out; the independent variables are perceived social support, school happiness, and some demographic variables. The research target population is Romani students studying at the secondary school level in a city in the northern part of Turkey. There are three schools in the Roman neighborhood in the research sample. The data collection tool used Personal Information Form, School Experiences Scale, Social Support Assessment Scale for Children, and Oxford Happiness Scale-Short Form. In the Personal Information Form, gender, age, grade level, number of siblings, birth order, parents' education level, and monthly income levels. The School Experience Scale was developed by Yorğun (2014) to measure students' school dropout tendencies. The scale is triple Likert type; there are seven dimensions and 25 items. The Social Support Assessment Scale for children was developed by Dubow and Ullman (1989) to evaluate how students perceive the social support they receive from their friends, families, and teachers. It was adapted into Turkish by Gökler (2007); there are 41 items on the scale, and it has three dimensions: teacher support, family support, and friend support. The Oxford Happiness Scale-Short Form was developed by Hills and Argyle (2002) and adapted into Turkish by Doğan and Çötok (2011). The scale is one-dimensional, and there are seven items on the scale. SPSS 22 will be used to analyze the obtained data. After the preliminary analyses, the assumptions of each analysis will be checked. In the first question of the research, descriptive statistics such as arithmetic mean and standard deviation will be used; in the second question, either t-test and ANOVA from parametric tests or non-parametric equivalents of these tests will be used, depending on the assumptions. In the third question, the direction and level of the relations between the variables will be calculated with correlation coefficients. Finally, multiple linear regression analysis will test whether the independent variables significantly predict the dependent variable.

As a result of the research, Roman students' dropout tendencies, perceived social support, and school happiness is expected to moderate. A high negative correlation is expected between the perceived social support of Roma students from their teachers, families, and friends and their tendency to drop out. A high negative correlation is expected between school happiness and school dropout tendencies of Romani students. Another expected result is that school happiness has a mediating effect on the relationship between school dropout and the perceived social support of Romani students.

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