Children from Marginalised Roma Communities at the School Gates: The Disconnect Between Majority Discourses and Minority Voices

Some children, especially those living in poverty and from ethnic minority backgrounds, have difficulty accessing preschool education. This is despite the fact that preschooling is considered to provide the foundations to a successful education and social inclusion. In Slovakia this issue primarily affects Roma children (Roma are also referred to as Travellers or Gypsies), specifically those from marginalised Roma communities (MRC). The aim of the article is to explore how the issue of schooling for this group of children relates to the political discourse and education policy, and consider whether this stems from the academic discourse on which higher education textbooks and teacher training are based. In the empirical analysis we found opinions and attitudes expressed by Roma parents from MRC that are not heard in the public discourse, and we compare these to the content of academic writing.