Enhancing Roma Children's Education through Digital Parent-School Communication

In recent years, technology has increasingly impacted communication and relationships between schools and families, particularly since the pandemic. The use of electronic information for school matters, monitoring children's attendance, organizing virtual meetings, and providing training for parents are examples of how digital media have transformed these interactions. However, a key concern is how these digital services might affect the school's relationship with families who, despite having smartphones and internet access, struggle with using digital tools and media—such as Roma families. Research across Europe indicates that the Roma community faces significant challenges in education and social integration. Both boys and girls experience learning difficulties and high rates of early school leaving or dropout. Since parents play a crucial role in addressing these issues, consistent communication between them and the school is essential. In this context, the shift to digital communication between parents and schools can help mitigate some of these challenges. It can bypass barriers that parents face, such as being unable to visit the school due to distance, work commitments, or language barriers. This presentation aims to outline a communication model between Roma families and schools, emphasizing the conditions necessary for organizing intervention activities in Roma communities, particularly focusing on improving parents' digital literacy. In Greece, improving living conditions for the Roma is a key goal of the national Roma strategy. Training parents to use digital communication tools will be a central proposal we develop to empower families. Therefore, investing in digital literacy is an innovative and practical approach to supporting the Roma community, especially in the field of education.