In this master’s thesis, I address the position of the Roma teaching assistant in primary school and understand it as an important support mechanism for the inclusion of Roma children in the educational system. In the theoretical part, I first place the Roma community in a broader social context and describe key characteristics of the position of Roma people in Slovenia, focusing on inequalities and exclusion in different areas and on how these conditions are reflected in the school environment. I then present the inclusion of Roma children in primary school and highlight the most common barriers (e.g., language-related, socio-economic, and cultural), frequent experiences of discrimination, and the discussion on integration and segregation, including the inappropriate placement of Roma children in adapted programmes. In the continuation, the theoretical part addresses the position of the Roma teaching assistant in more detail: the emergence and development of the position, the role, tasks, and competencies of Roma teaching assistant, as well as their placement within the school system, while highlighting their importance as a linking element between the school and the Roma community, as well as the dilemmas related to their unclear status, subordination within the staff collective, and the risk of marginalization. I also devote part of the theoretical section to the importance of knowledge of the Romani language and Roma culture.
The empirical part is based on a qualitative research approach. I collected the data through semi-structured interviews with ten Roma teaching assistants employed at four primary schools in the Municipality of Novo mesto. I recorded, transcribed, and analysed the interviews using qualitative analysis procedures. In the study, I focused on their understanding of the importance of the Romani language in their work, their experience of their position within the staff collective, their understanding of their role, concrete tasks, key competencies, sources of support in the face of challenges or difficulties, the advantages and disadvantages of the job, and suggestions for improvement.
The results show that Roma teaching assistants understand the Romani language as an important but situational tool: it is particularly useful when Roma children enter school (especially in the lower grades) and in communication with parents, while they also emphasise Slovene as the primary language of schooling. An important part of the findings also concerns their position within the staff collective: experiences vary— in some settings assistants feel accepted, recognised, and supported, while in others elements of undervaluation, unclear status, and unequal cooperation appear. In practice, their role is multi-layered and includes learning support, building relationships and trust, connecting with parents and the Roma community, educational guidance, and ensuring safety and order. Their concrete tasks are also clearly reflected: escorting pupils (e.g., bus, lunch, activity days), individual learning support, duty and supervision tasks, administrative duties, and—in some cases—community outreach in Roma settlements and assistance in dealing with institutions. Roma teaching assistants emphasise the need for personal and professional competencies (e.g., flexibility, patience, empathy, communication skills, mediation, understanding of the Roma life context, authority, and consistency in setting boundaries) as well as the importance of support networks within the school and among Roma teaching assistants. Among the advantages of the job, in addition to a sense of meaning and relationships with children, they often highlight the dynamic nature of the work, a positive staff climate (where present), and—for some—employment stability that reduces feelings of insecurity. Among the disadvantages, they emphasise an unclear or subordinate status, low valuation of the work (e.g., pay), a lack of systematic training, and organisational and, in some environments, safety-related burdens. Suggestions for improvement therefore mainly focus on clearer role definition and greater recognition of the position, better systemic regulation of working conditions, more professional support and training, and encouraging networking among Roma teaching assistants.
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