Roma Population
The Council of Europe estimates that there are approximately 700 000 Roma living in Hungary, which is 7,05% of the total population, further divided into six groups with different languages and culture.
The Roma population in Hungary endures poverty and lacks a stable income. They have poorer physical health in comparison with the national average and live in segregated Roma settlements with basic or no infrastructure. The life expectancy of Roma is 10 years shorter than the Hungarian average. While educational attainment has increased in Hungary overall, there are still disparities in attainment between Roma and the general population so the ethnic gap has, in fact, increased. Most Roma adults only have a primary school level education and only 42% of Roma children go to nursery schools compared with 88% of the general population. Most of the Roma population live in Northern Hungary, one of the country’s most underdeveloped regions.
Main Goals
Building a strong inclusive professional learning community among Romani and other ECD practitioners working with Romani children, within which they can develop skills, partnerships, resources, methodologies, etc.
Establishing effective partnerships between Roma and other ECD professionals and paraprofessionals.
Increasing the number of Roma practitioners and their reputation and visibility on the national and local level in working towards improving quality and equity of ECD provisions.
Advocating for inclusive policies and practices on the national and local level, and for increasing the number of Roma ECE practitioners.
Activities Carried Out
– Network building and professional development.
– Increasing the number of Roma practitioners.
– Advocacy campaigns.
Ongoing Activities
- Regular professional developmental trainings.
- Increasing the number of Roma practitioners: five REYN scholarships, five courses for becoming a certificate early childhood assistant.
- Advocacy board.
Main Outcomes
– Regular professional development opportunities offered to REYN members.
– Roma women supported to become certified early childhood assistants through scholarships and mentoring.
– Two advocacy and raising awareness campaigns implemented.
– A strong civil professional organizational network created in Hungary.
The Dream to Grow campaign shares 12 multipurpose advocacy stories, highlighting the successes of Roma ECD professionals who are supporting Roma children and families in their countries – celebrating the example they are setting for future generations.
REYN Early Childhood Research
REYN Early Childhood Research is a study that sheds light on young Roma children and their parents throughout Europe. The study brings together unprecedented Roma-related early childhood data from 11 countries. It catalyzes solid evidence for urgent and effective policies and programs enabling each young Roma to reach their full potential – to grow and thrive!