Roma Cultural Identity and the Indispensable Role of Education

• Pages: 166-174

166

Vol. 7 No.1

May, 2021

Balkan Journal of Interdisciplinary Research

IIPCCL Publishing, Graz-Austria

ISSN 2410-759X

Acces online at www.iipccl.org

Roma Cultural Identity and the Indispensable Role of Education

PhD (C.) Itena Hoxhallari

University of Tirana, Albania

Abstract

This paper is focused on the situation of Roma in Albania and the main challenges faced in

general and particularly in education. A short description of the historical aspect, including

their arrival in Albania and ocial status is accompanied by a structural and cultural portrait

of the Roma community and its subculture groups in Albania.

A special aention has been shown to its status as one of the marginalized communities in

Albania with education as one of the most signicant factors in the inclusion and development

process. A deeper analysis of the Roma low economic, social and education status is associated

with some of the key factors and challenges accompanied by a description of Inclusive

education and schools based on Index for Inclusion and the most comprehensive denition of

Inclusion and equity.

The paper has been based on a combination of a literature review, in-depth interviews and

Focus Groups of Roma families and community as well as observations.

The selection of a set of concepts like hopemongering, willed-not learning, and Family-like Schools

artfully presented by specic authors, have helped us emphasize the signicant role of inclusive

education in the promotion and preservation of cultural identities in a more inclusive society.

Keywords: Culture, Roma, Identity, Inclusive Education.

General information about Roma Community in Albania

Roma Community is one of the oldest minorities in Europe, whose origin from

Northern India is nowadays widely accepted, based on linguistic data, cultural

anthropology, history and, lately, the genetics of the population (CoE)1. Roma

communities have arrived in Albania since the thirteenth century (Albanian

Commiee of Helsinki, 2003:43). Aer several years of being addressed as cultural

minority in Albania, it is now ocially recognized as a national minority2, since 2017.

Regarding the population size of Roma minority in Albania, there is not yet an exact

number. It varies from 8301 people or 0.3% of the whole population of about 2.9

million, according to Census of 2011 (INSTAT Census, 2012) (although about 15.5% of

the population did not declare their ethnicity), to 18276 people, based on OSFA Census

(2014) and to about 100-120 thousand people according to other sources (See Bërxolli,

2005:128) including Roma community organizations and other representatives.

1 CoE, Roma History,From India to Europe hps://rm.coe.int/from-india-to-europe-factsheets-

on-romani-history/16808b18ed.

2 Ligji Nr. 96/2017 Për Mbrojtjen e Pakicave Kombëtare në Republikën e Shqipërisë (Law

No. 69/2017 On the Protection of National Minorities Albania hps://www.kmd.al/wp-

content/uploads/2018/05/1524738824-Ligji-Per-Mbrojtjen-e-Pakicave-Kombetare-ne-R.

Sh-2017.pdf.