Discriminatory attitudes

Government programmes for dismantling segregation fail because of insufficient political will, which is itself a consequence of the widespread negative prejudices and social distances towards Roma in Bulgarian society. Table 24 below presents the results of four surveys, conducted between 1992 and 2005, on the attitudes of the ethnic Bulgarians towards Roma.³³⁸ These surveys reveal that over a period of 13 years social distances have remained very high and do not show any positive dynamics, unlike the case of the Bulgarian Turks, where there have been some positive changes.

Table 24: Attitudes to social distance of Bulgarians towards Roma (1992–2005) Proportion of respondents disagreeing with

the statement (per cent) The Statement

“Would you agree to:”

1992 1994 1997 2005 Maintain friendship with Roma 64 70 72 67 Be in the same neighbourhood with Roma 63 60 69 63 Work in the same workplace with Roma 39 49 36 52

Be in one country with Roma 34 28 38 27

Source: Gallup International/BHC³³⁹

The Gallup International/BHC survey from May 2005, just like the previous surveys, focused among other things also on the attitudes of the Bulgarians towards the integrated schooling of their children, together with Roma children. Table 25 below

337 Case study Vidin.

338 For more on the dynamics in the perception of ethnic minorities in Bulgaria and in some other Balkan countries, see Krassimir Kanev, “Changing Attitudes towards the Ethnic Minorities in Bulgaria and the Balkans 1992–97,” in Thanasis Sfikas and Christopher Williams (eds.), Ethnicity and Nationalism in East Central Europe and the Balkans, Aldershot: Ashgate, 1999.

339 Gallup International/BHC, Bulgarians and Roma: Interethnic Attitudes, Social Distances and Value Orientations.

shows some of the results, as well as the dynamics since 1992 in response to one of the questions.

Table 25: Attitudes of Bulgarians towards educational integration (1992–2005) Proportion of respondents disagreeing with

the statement (per cent) The Statement

“Would you let your child/grandchild study in a

class where:” 1992 1994 1997 2005

There are several Roma 42 38 36 27 Half the class are Roma 86 74 82 77 More than half are Roma 90 82 88 86

Source: Gallup International/BHC³⁴⁰

The above data reveal a rather low level of acceptance of Roma children in an integrated educational environment, but at the same time indicate some positive dynamics, especially since 1997. They also partly explain the Government failures to implement school desegregation programmes, despite commitments. An expert has noted that children participating in integration programmes may experience a high level of stress, which can lead to a decline in performance, or even to dropping out.³⁴¹ The attitudes of Roma towards integrated schooling are much more positive. The May 2005 Gallup International/BHC survey showed that 84 per cent of Roma accept the idea of integrated education, 12 per cent were uncertain and only 4 per cent objected.

Only 2.3 per cent of the Roma surveyed believed that the [segregated] “neighbourhood schools” are better than the mainstream schools. 30 per cent believed that they are worse and 50 per cent found them as good as the mainstream schools.³⁴²

Local-level research in Vidin indicates that school directors generally have a positive attitude about Roma children when asked whether they should study with non-Roma children. Some are very supportive, stating “The children are all equal. Diversity is also more effective and necessary for development”³⁴³ and “All are Bulgarians and they should all go through one and the same programme”,³⁴⁴ while others are more reserved, suggesting that “Roma children should study with non-Roma, but in limited numbers,

340 Gallup International/BHC, Bulgarians and Roma: Interethnic Attitudes, Social Distances and Value Orientations.

341 OSI Roundtable, Sofia, June 2006.

342 BHC, Five Years Later, pp. 53–54.

343 Interview with Ventsislav Stanev, principal of the Tsar Simeon Veliki Upper Secondary School, 10 March 2006, Vidin.

344 Interview with Silvia Pradoeva, deputy principal of the Mathematical Upper Secondary School, 9 March 2006, Vidin.

in order to be more effective in the integration process”.³⁴⁵ However, they all acknowledge the positive impact of the desegregation initiative on mainstream society and the Roma Community and recognise that there is no other local initiative that drives forward the desegregation process of Roma education in Vidin Municipality except that of the NGO Organisation Drom.

Organisation Drom has acted as a partner to all upper secondary schools in Vidin since 2000. The leader of the desegregation process, Mrs. Donka Panayotova, the chair of Organisation Drom, confirmed that there is public support for desegregation in Vidin, which is strong and irreversible, despite the appearance of the nationalistic party

“ATAKA” during the last parliamentary elections from June 2005.³⁴⁶ The public support for desegregation is explicit insofar as there are no internal conflicts initiated by parents or citizens. However, public support is undermined by governmental institutions that continue to support the existence of segregated schools (see section 5.7)

Interviews with local journalists emphasised the point that they do not support segregation of the Roma children in education, because of the low quality of education of segregated schools and the separation of the children, which does not offer an opportunity for Roma children to compare their knowledge with their non-Roma peers.³⁴⁷ Furthermore, the journalists agreed that there is a high number of Roma children in the special school in Vidin because of the need for the school to fill up their classes and receive the necessary State subsidies. According to these local residents, it is most important that the Roma children in integrated schools are treated equally, as that would guarantee the success of their adaptation. The journalists support the desegregation efforts in Vidin, and they confirm that the NGO Organisation Drom is the leader of that process that has made such an important contribution.³⁴⁸

Roma parents of children that are enrolled in the desegregation programme in Vidin are highly satisfied with their children’s performance at school. Some of them say the following:

I am very happy about the mainstream school and the teachers, because the segregated school in the Roma neighbourhood is not that good. I am satisfied because of several things, like the light meals that are offered and all the rest […] the attitude towards my child. I cannot say anything negative about the new school in town, and I am sure that my child will continue

345 Interview with A. Gerasimov, principal of the Otec Paisii Lower Secondary School, 7 March 2006, Vidin.

346 This political party, which entered Parliament in June 2005, openly instigates hatred against Roma and other ethnic and religious minorities.

347 Interview with Valeri Borisov, Bulgarian Telegraph Agency reporter in Vidin, 14 March, Vidin, and Anna Lozanova, editor-in-chief of TV “Vidin” and reporter of the national channel bTV.

348 Case study Vidin.

education because of the special attitude, and I have also noted that the non-Roma children are friends and they play with my child.³⁴⁹

Some non-Roma parents find it natural that their children study together with Roma children:

I am highly satisfied with the education of my child. I have selected the school and the choreography class because my child loves to dance. I am very positive about the Roma children and I do not think that there should be a different attitude towards them. I know that the class teacher of my child is a psychologist and she does not treat the Roma children differently. I have noticed that the relationship between Roma and non-Roma children at school is in good shape. I do not think that there are any problems, and for instance my daughter has Roma girlfriends from school. ³⁵⁰

Interviews with Roma children also show the positive attitude towards the integrated school environment and the successful integration. Tsvetan, who studies at the Tsar Simeon Veliki Upper Secondary School, emphasises the following points:

I study in an elite school where the teachers are very attentive and respect us.

I do not like the obsolete equipment in the school so much. I have been praised several times in physical training classes and I do not like to study only with Roma children because I cannot learn anything new from them. I have non-Roma friends and if I were a school director I would change the interior of the school. ³⁵¹

Other Roma pupils, such as the eighth-grader Emil, confirms also that the teachers are very good and he could not find any reasons to dislike the school.³⁵² He noted that he was praised at school for his excellent grades and he does not want to study only with Roma children in the segregated school. Margarita, who is in the seventh grade in an integrated school, responded thus:

I like the school because of the quality education, but I do not like some children in my class who are not disciplined enough. I have been praised by my teacher because I was good in the final test. I have never been insulted. If I were a school principal I would introduce discipline, computers and more foreign language studying.³⁵³

349 Interview with Milka Nikolova, a Roma parent of a first-grader at the Otec Paisii Lower Secondary School, 10 March 2006, Vidin.

350 Interview with Ivanka Kirilova Stoyanova, parent of a non-Roma child at the SS. Cyril and Methodius Upper Secondary School.

351 Interview with Tsvetan Russinov (Roma pupil), eighth-grader at the Tsar Simeon Veliki Upper Secondary School, 15 March 2006, Vidin.

352 Interview with Emil Petrov Stefanov (Roma pupil), eighth-grader at the Tsar Simeon Veliki Upper Secondary School, 15 March 2006, Vidin.

353 Interview with Margarita Anguelova, seventh-grader from the Tsar Simeon Veliki Upper Secondary School, 16 March 2006, Vidin.

At the same time, non-Roma children are also positive about their Roma classmates, as Maria shared in an interview:

I have good teachers and I like my classmates. I like the Roma children at school and I would like to study with them – but not only with them but also with children from other ethnic groups. I have two Roma classmates with whom I talk and we respect each other. We play together. There are Roma children from my school who are my friends too. If I had a golden fish [a figure in Russian and Bulgarian folk tales, who grants wishes to those who catch him] my three wishes would be that the children always play and never quarrel, that the children respect each other and they do not steal. In addition to that, I would always like to stay with my schoolteacher, my class and to stay in this school.³⁵⁴