In recent decades, the idea that educational inclusion can be the first step in the social inclusion of Roma has become established in the specialized literature and social-political practice. In this regard, significant progress has been recorded at the European level since the early 1990s. In its recommendation 1203/1993, the Council of Europe stressed the importance of ensuring quality education, the need to introduce intercultural education and supported the teaching of Roma history and culture in schools, as well as the training of teachers in this field. In the early 2000s, the Romanian Ministry of Education published Romani language and literature textbooks, as well as Romani language support materials for elementary and high school grades. Today The Romani language is recognized in the Romanian education system not only as a subject of study but also as a possible language of instruction, and the history and culture of the Roma, similar to the language and culture of other minorities, is an optional subject (Sarău, 2009).

In the education of Roma students, the adoption of effective educational strategies based on the use of cultural identity as an educational resource poses additional difficulties, since in their case cultural differences coincide and co-occur with marginality and socio-economic influences. In this context, teachers tend to interpret different cultural customs, norms and behaviors as shortcomings. The specialized literature (Marburger, Helbig & Kienast, 1997; Bender-Szymanski, 2000) has highlighted in this regard the pronounced presence of cultural ethnocentrism in teachers' narratives. Another frequently mentioned characteristic of teachers’ attitudes is “unconscious racism” (Ladson-Billings, 1994, p.31), when teachers tend to ignore the different cultural background of the students or their precarious social situation and adopt characteristic stereotypes, including the perception of unequal value. Regarding the education of Roma students, this conception reinforces the idea that these students should assimilate in order to succeed in school.

In contradiction to these views, the multiculturalist view argues that schools should adopt an inclusive curriculum that reflects the culture, language and history of the Roma (Bhopal & Myers, 2009). In order to implement culturally responsive teaching, knowledge of the culture, history and customs of the students is said to be essential (Gay, 2010). However, these are usually missing from national curricula (Kyuchukov, 2000), and most teachers do not have the necessary knowledge (Nikolaou, 2009). Without them, we can say that a school is not adequately prepared to meet the needs of Roma students (Miskovic, 2009). Teachers’ perceptions of “disinterested” and “distant” parents can easily become a self-fulfilling prophecy and can negatively affect their expectations of students (Valdes, 1997). Even the best intentions of inclusive education policies are doomed to failure if they are not complemented by the elimination of discriminatory attitudes (Vincze & Harbula 2011, p.51).

Based on these premises, in our research conducted in a rural area of ​​Bihor County, we aimed to investigate the opportunities for using the Romani language and Roma culture in the educational process of Roma children, as well as the attitudes of teachers in this regard. Our investigation focused on the following aspects:

1. To what extent and how do teachers incorporate elements of Roma culture in their activities with students in and outside of school?

2. How frequent is the use of the Romani language in the family and at school and what other languages ​​do Roma students know/use?

3. What is the attitude of teachers regarding the potential benefits of using the Romani language and culture in educational activities?

4. What are the opportunities for learning and practicing in school songs, dances specific to Roma communities as well as songs/dances specific to other cultures?

This research is based on a quantitative approach, a questionnaire survey among primary school teachers in Bihor County, Romania. The invitation to complete the questionnaire was addressed to teachers who have at least one Roma student in their class. In total, 155 people completed the questionnaire. The questionnaire for teachers reviews the educational environment in the school, the ethnic and linguistic origin of the students, as well as the attitudes of teachers towards the education and training of students from different ethnicities. Structurally, the questionnaire includes the following units: 1. General information about the educational institution and the teacher's experience: location of teaching (rural, urban), type of institution (state, private, church); language of instruction in the school and in the given class; number of classes taught by the teacher and the ethnicity of the students in them.2. Analysis of the social and educational situation of the students: questions on the social situation of Roma and non-Roma students, including extreme poverty, state care and disabilities; language skills of the students and their use in different contexts (at home, in the classroom, communication with peers and teachers); opinions and attitudes of educators regarding the learning processes: assessment of the school performance of Roma students in comparison with non-Roma students; the effect of education in the Romani language and Roma culture on students' attitudes and performance; teachers' satisfaction with school performance and the attitude of different groups of students. In this study we refer only to the categories of responses that are relevant to the dimensions of the stated research issue, namely: a) incorporation of Roma culture in educational activities b) knowledge/use of different languages by students at home and at school c) teachers' opinions on the use of the Romani language and Roma culture in educational activities d) opportunities to practice folk dances and songs in school.

Regarding the extent in which teachers incorporate elements of Roma culture in their activities with students in and out of school (research question no. 1), our research data shows that almost three quarters of teachers do not incorporate Roma cultural elements into their education. Regarding the use of different languages spoken by Roma students in the family and at school (research question no. 2), interpreting the data from the perspective of Roma students, it can be concluded that they are usually multilingual, as they speak Romanian, Hungarian and Romani on a large scale. Despite this, the use of Romani in school lessons and in communication between students is significantly lower than that of other languages. This fact is also reflected in the opinions and attitudes of teachers regarding the potential positive effects of the introduction of education in the Romani language and Roma culture in schools (research question no. 3). The results of the research indicate a predominantly neutral or even skeptical attitude of teachers in this regard. In line with this positioning of teachers, cultural opportunities, such as the practice of folk dance and singing (research question no. 4), differ significantly between different nationalities. More opportunities are offered to Hungarian and Romanian students, while these opportunities are severely limited in the case of Roma. In order to more effectively use the identity, language and culture specific to Roma communities as resources for educational inclusion, it is necessary for teachers to adopt a more positive attitude and to be more supportive of the use and promotion of Roma culture in educational activities. Educators must guarantee equal opportunities and cultural recognition for all students and promote the right of everyone to participate in school and extracurricular programs while fully ensuring the right to identity.

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