AVELA: Tutoring in Kutná Hora helps Romani children find new motivation for education

Children and youth of Romani origin continue to face unequal access to education. The Avela project, organized by Slovo 21, offers children a helping hand in managing their academic responsibilities. Through tutoring, mentoring, and extracurricular activities, Romani children enrolled in the program have the opportunity to develop their potential and find new motivation for learning thanks to the supportive approach of their tutors. The project provides assistance in various locations across the country. One of the cities where Avela program activities have been running for the past three months is Kutná Hora. 

Alžběta Brychtová, coordinator of the Kutná Hora program, spends her Wednesday afternoons at the Archa low-threshold facility for children and youth in a local housing estate. She has been leading the center for the past few years. After 3:00 PM, most of the children head outside to the playground, and in a few minutes, students will arrive for their tutoring sessions, which are now being held here thanks to their involvement in Avela.

‍"In addition to the low-threshold facility for children and youth, we run a number of other projects. However, some activities, such as strictly academic tutoring, do not fall under those. The Slovo 21 project made this possible and built upon our previous efforts to better integrate Romani children into the school system."

‍Brychtová explains, while a girl of about fifteen begins working on an equation under the guidance of her tutor. Later, she tells me that tutoring helps her because she doesn't like studying alone. Thanks to the tutor, she is able to grasp the material much faster. She also enjoys coming to the center because it is always full of children she is close to. In the future, she would like to work with them, ideally as an English teacher. 

In Kutná Hora, seven children are involved in the project under one tutor, and they meet on a weekly basis. "We have three children here preparing for preschool enrollment, children from the second stage of elementary school, and girls from a vocational high school, so the spectrum is covered quite nicely. But the project, of course, also targets higher levels of education. We are happy to support Romani people in achieving a university education," Brychtová says, clarifying the diversity of the students involved in the project.

She explains to me that for preschool-aged children, support is very important. They can be rejected by kindergartens because they haven't yet acquired the habits necessary for entry. Early integration into a group of children can be very beneficial for their development. 

Unequal access to education for people of Romani origin is reflected in the obstacles children must face. They may struggle with discrimination, poverty, and a lack of support from society. Their motivation to study declines, and along with poorer results comes early departure from the school system and deepened social exclusion. Yet even minor support can help children discover the importance of education for their future professional and personal lives.

‍"Children often don't fully understand how subjects are presented at school; it's simply complicated for them, and they need it explained in a simpler way," the center's director explains regarding the fundamental needs that tutors fulfill through their sessions.

At the same time, she notes that not all Romani children involved in the Avela project come from socially disadvantaged backgrounds: "We have students here from very well-functioning families whose parents care about their children advancing in the education system, and they are very supportive and motivating. That in itself is great," he adds.

Beyond tutoring sessions, the Avela project also includes support for leisure and cultural activities. As part of the International Romani Day celebrations, children from Kutná Hora are heading to a Romani music workshop in Telč. Such activities also serve as an incentive for them to develop their interests and overcome the barriers that society places before them.

Author: Sára Procházková

This article was produced as part of the Avela project, which is co-financed by the European Union.