Roma are Greek citizens and comprise 1.13% of the population (about 117,495 persons). Several Romani varieties are spoken in Greece, Vlax Romani and Balkan Romani being the most widespread. Travelling and settled Roma live in all 13 regions of the country. The three regions in which the RPPE schools are located are among those with the highest density of Roma: East Macedonia and Thrace (17%), Thessaly (14%) and West Greece (13%). As regards the registration of Roma in the education system, 8.7% are in the 4–5 age group, 20% are in the 6–15 age group, and 28.9% are in the 16–29 age group.  

Educational policy regarding Roma

Greece has a long-standing commitment to the education of Roma, starting with the establishment of reception classrooms for non-native Greek speakers in the early 1980s and the implementation of intercultural teaching and learning methodologies in the 1990s. Since 2000 the Greek government has co-funded projects on democratic and inclusive education, passed a law to combat segregation and socioeconomic disadvantage, implemented Zones of Educational Priority (ZEP) for schools with more than 10 Roma pupils, and supported extra-curricular activities in collaboration with local authorities, civil society and European partners.

Participating schools

4th Primary School of Amaliada (­https://blogs.sch.gr/4dimamal/)

Amaliada is the second largest city in Ilia and the seat of the municipality of Ilida (West Greece); it has a population of 16,000. Built in 1935, the 4th Primary School is the oldest of the city’s six primary schools. It has 120 pupils, 95% of whom are Roma, 16 teachers, and four ancillary staff. The Roma pupils speak one of the Romani varieties at home but have some Greek when they start school. Most of them are settled and they usually complete their schooling at upper secondary level.

12th Primary School of Komotini (https://12dim-komot-rod.webnode.gr)

Komotini is the capital city of the prefecture of Rhodope in Thrace, north-eastern Greece. Founded in 2009, the 12th Primary School has ten classrooms, one computer lab, and two rooms that serve as offices for the teaching staff. There are about 170 students, all of whom are Turkish-speaking Roma who mostly do not speak a variety of Romani at home. They have no Greek when they start school and no contact with the Greek language outside school. The staff comprises: the head teacher, eight class teachers, one reception class teacher, nine teachers of other specialisations, and one social worker.  

10th Primary School of Nea Ionia, Volos (http://10dim-n-ionias.mag.sch.gr/autosch/joomla15/)

Situated in south-east Thessaly, Volos is one of the largest cities and most important ports in Greece. The 10th Primary School traditionally serves a large number of Roma students, who comprise the overwhelming majority of its 300 pupils. The most widely used home languages are the Vlax and Balkan varieties of Romani. For the past decade the school has had 15 classes and has provided for reception, integration and preparatory groups. The teaching staff comprises: 23 class teachers, four foreign language teachers, two psychologists/social workers, one teacher for special education, and four other teachers (ICT, music, art).