Iraqi school for Roma is basic, but gives hope

First Published: 2010-12-05

First school of its kind in Iraqi Kurdistan where ages of Roma students range from six to 45.

Middle East Online

By Shawn Mohammed - SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq

'Not one of them can read or write' It might look modest, but the tent that acts as a class room and the car that doubles as an office are, for the Roma who attend lessons there, the first school of its kind in Iraqi Kurdistan. The brainchild of a teacher touched by the difficult life of the Roma community in Sulaimaniyah, Al-Ruhal (The Nomads) opened its doors, or rather its flaps, on Wednesday on the outskirts of the autonomous Kurdish region's second city to students ranging in age from six to 45. "This spring, I suggested to the educational authorities in Sulaimaniyah that we open a vocational school for gypsies living close to the city," Hana Fadhel Ahmed, the school's headmistress and founder, tells AFP. "They welcomed the idea, and asked me to identify people who might be interested in attending." According to Ahmed, about 70 Roma families live in tents put up outside the city, 270 kilometres (170 miles) north of Baghdad. "Not one of them can read or write," she notes of the 383 people. Lacking the resources for separating youths into one-year age groups, Al-Ruhal's classes divide its students into larger sections -- the morning begins with six hours of group lessons for 70 children aged between six and 12. In the afternoon, simultaneous two-hour classes are held first for students aged 13 to 24, and then for their elders, with an age limit of 45 years. "And when they pick up and move, we will move with them," Ahmed says. "They move around once every four months, but only within Kurdistan. (Neighbouring) Turkey does not want them." Resources are tight. The school's five teachers have to prepare lessons in their cars and, while authorities have promised to hire more instructors for Al-Ruhal, the school is trying to make do for now. Kurdish historian Sardar Mohammed says most of the Roma now living in Iraq originate from modern-day Iran. While precise figures are not available, tribal leaders estimate that they number around 60,000 nationwide. Their situation, however, has deteriorated dramatically since the US-led invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein in 2003. Under Saddam's Baathist regime, the leader's iron fist did not weigh on the Roma. Roma men were professional singers or musicians and the women were invited to dance at feasts, weddings and parties in Iraq. "The Kurdish government has given us papers," says Hassan Rahim, 65. "But we live in tents; we remain second-class citizens." "This school has been opened very late; it should have come years ago. But if it brings any benefits, it will be for our children." The conditions that the community live in remain shocking to many of the nascent school's teachers. "Some of the students do not eat enough food and others are not able to even wash their faces because there is not enough water in their camp," says Bayah Rahim, a 37-year-old schoolteacher. "So we need to start from scratch with them because they do not know anything about the school system. They do not know they must sit still and listen to and respect their teacher." The school's aim, according to its headmistress, is to give Roma children a chance at a better life. While some of their parents are able to earn money selling clothes they have made, many resort to begging. "And others turn to theft or prostitution," Ahmed says. "This school aims to keep them on the right track." Karim, one of the school's students, readily admits that he had to beg in a Sulaimaniyah market before the school opened. "I am happy that I do not have to beg; I hope this school will help me find a good job," the 12-year-old says. Nine-year-old Mariam chimes in that she's excited by the opportunity to study: "My parents encouraged me to go to school, along with my brother."