Perception: Roma children are beggars and pick-pockets. The Roma population will eventually outnumber the majority populations in their countries as a result of their out of control birth rates.

Reality: Roma children face physical, economic, and social barriers to attending school. Throughout Europe, they often are segregated from mainstream schooling, either by local policy or by practice. 30% of Roma children are currently studying in schools or classes for children with special needs, compared to 2% of non-Roma children. When curricula ignore Roma culture, language, and history, Roma children feel isolated and less motivated to engage in formal education.

Ervin Hašimović (12),
Student, Photographer, and Basketball Player

“My favorite thing is sports. I mostly like to play football and basketball. My favorite football player is Ronaldo. He’s my idol because he’s strong, tall, and has a super hairstyle. I follow him on Instagram and when I grow up I want to look and play just like him. The kids at school say that I already look like him and that makes me really happy. I really like going to school. It’s not hard for me to do homework and when I have a problem, my mom always helps me. My mom bought me a camera because I also love photography and I like to take photos and put them on Instagram. I love cool clothes and hairstyles. I mostly like to wear casual clothes and my favorite brand is NIKE. I pretty much love all of their shoes. Kids used to tease me for being a Roma person, but then they said that I wasn’t like other Roma because I was well dressed, modern and always clean. I tell them that I’m not the only Roma person who is like that and that I have a lot of Roma relatives and friends who are the same as me and that we dress like everyone else in school does. I think it’s really weird when they say that I’m not a Roma because I’m clean, well dressed, and have a modern style. My mother told me that it’s because people think Roma children are always dirty and wear worn out clothes. I would like for people to stop saying that Roma people are dirty and that they don’t know how to dress. It’s not nice to say bad things about other people. My mom always tells me to look at others without prejudice and that we are all equal. So, I want to tell my friends that Roma people are the same as other people.”