Between the late 1950s and the early 1980s, Italy implemented a program of differentiated education for Roma pupils, who were assigned to special classes, called Lacio Drom, to help them integrate in Italian society in a smoother and faster way.

As it happens in many schools, the teachers and students of many Lacio Drom classes produced school journals by collecting small notes, texts, and short stories written by children on specific topics suggested by teachers, or on events that may happen on a daily basis, such as playing, going to school, interacting with others, and so on.

With this work, we open a short series of articles providing translations of texts from these school journals, dividing the texts produced by children according to the topic they deal with. All the texts and notes are taken from two journals, one written in 1971 and the other in 1984, from two classes attended by both Roma and non-Roma children. The idea behind these translations is to offer a perspective on the process of integration in schools through the voices and words of children, while also discovering some parts of the daily lives of Roma children and their families in that specific moment in time.

This first article will be narrating some stories about Roma children in schools, and their relations with teachers and classmates. Enjoy the reading!

 

May 10, 1971

In these last few days, we did a lot of nice jobs during the after-school program, such as a crocodile covered in shells of mussels. We put these shells to show how hard and coarse the skin of a crocodile actually is. Now my crocodile is almost done, and it seems like it is going to be beautiful, and that I will be able to show it at the exhibition. 

I also made a nice trumpet out of plywood.

Always concerning the exhibition, we are gonna make all the different varieties of musical instruments.

I really like these kinds of assignments, and I am happy that I can make them everyday.

 

Untitled

When there was our teacher Z., there was much more space in this room, because everyday we used to go to the gym, and there we would play volleyball or train high jump. Once, I made the teacher angry while we were in the gym, and he scolded me, but I laughed it off. In class, we used to work with the jigsaw, but since I wasn’t really good at it, he made me paint, which I enjoyed a lot. Then, a new teacher came. She’s nice, she laughs and plays around, but whenever we make her mad she scolds us and pulls us by the ear. I always do my best to avoid her getting mad, and I always do my homework.

 

Text 13 - (March 2, 1984)

While getting ready for Carnival’s costume party, one of the pupils said to the teacher: “Tomorrow I will scare my dad, because I will dress up as a ‘gypsy’!!!”, and a classmate, who is a Jehowa’s Witness, replied: “Wow, that’s scary, everytime I see gypsies I always faint…”. The teachers intervened and said: “I don’t recall you ever fainting in the class, yet you see your classmate S. everyday, and he’s gypsy!”.

The child’s facial expression changes immediately, and he just exclaims: “Oh!!!”, amazingly. Next to him, some more classmates are incredulous and start asking: “So S. really is gypsy?”

 

Text 14 - My class (February 2, 1984)

I am in third grade, and it’s my third year with these classmates, and I don’t really like it. Sometimes, the teacher forgets about me. My classmates are obnoxious, especially the guys. Sometimes they even try to talk to me but I am rude to them. It was much better when R. was here as well, but now she moved away.

 

Text 15 - My class 2 (February 27, 1984)

I really like being in my class because I became friends with two children: R. and M. I like my teacher too, because she is really kind and she helps me in doing my homework. However, sometimes I end up fighting with some classmates: one day, I even broke my classmate's eyeglasses. I got really scared and I was afraid that after knowing what had happened, my dad would have beaten me. 

 

Text 16 - Carnival Party (March 10, 1984)

Last Saturday my classmates and I celebrated Carnival. We made some masks out of clay, we sang and played the flute. We ate some fritters, popcorn, and a lot of sweets.

 

Short interview (carried out by Lacio Drom teachers)

Teacher: First, you were classmates with Roma children, now you are with the others: what do you like the most?

Student 1: I prefer being with Roma children, I enjoy it much more, I can talk as I want, I feel more free (12 years old student).

Student 2: I prefer being with gagé (non-Roma) children because we play together, and they help me with my homework.

Student 3: I would rather be classmates with the other children because they never say bad words or beat me.

Student 4: I prefer the class with Roma children because my friends are there, and recess is longer.

Student 5: I prefer being with Roma children, because I can spend more time playing. In the other class there’s a kid who always notes on the blackboard the names of those who speak.

Student 6: I prefer being in the other class because you can learn more and there are a lot of classmates.

Student 7: I want to stay with the other children because I learn more and I enjoy my classmates’ company.