THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL POLICY IN EU COUNTRIES ON THE EDUCATIONAL PRACTICES OF ROMA MIGRANTS FROM UKRAINE

Abstract

The article examines transformations in the educational practices of Roma refugees from Ukraine inthe context of forced migration to European Union countries after 24 February 2022. Previous studiesconducted prior to the full-scale invasion documented deep and persistent problems in Roma educationin Ukraine, including low levels of educational engagement and an increasing proportion of people withinRoma communities who are unable to read and write. To a large extent, this was associated with low levelsof educational motivation, early involvement of children in the family economy, and the long-term socialisolation of Roma communities.Forced displacement to EU countries has posed a significant challenge for Roma refugees, related to theneed to adapt to new social, economic, and institutional conditions. One of its key dimensions has beenthe integration of children, who, like other Ukrainian children, were enrolled in local education systemswith a different language of instruction, curricula, and sociocultural environment. These challenges werefurther exacerbated by the insufficient prior educational preparation of Roma children relative to theirage. Based on in-depth interviews with Roma respondents, the study shows how the combination of newsocio-economic conditions and state support mechanisms in EU countries has led to a rethinking of therole of education in the lives of Roma communities. Child benefits have created a new economic logic inwhich education is increasingly perceived as a socially and economically significant activity for children.The findings also suggest a potential long-term transformation of educational orientations am Ukrainian Roma, both in the context of migration and in a broader social context.The article conducted within the open research project of Kherson State University “Ethnic Minoritiesof Ukraine in the Conditions of the Russian-Ukrainian War and Migration,” state registration number:0124U003022.