Feature: Gypsy children learning in Belgium's "school containers"

In the western suburbs of the Flemish city of Ghent in northern Belgium, there is a "school container" built for Gypsy children.

Gypsies, also known as Roma people, are nomads who moved westwards from the Indian subcontinent during the 10th century.

According to estimates, there are more than 2 million Roma worldwide. They live mainly on the European continent and come from eastern and southern Europe.

Their nomadic lifestyle means they move from camp to camp, and often beg for a living.

To accommodate this non-sedentary population, and in accordance with European legislation, European Union member states must supply them land equipped with toilets, water and electricity.

In Belgium, camps are set around large cities like Antwerp, Brussels and Ghent.

The Roma camp located in the western suburbs of Ghent is the largest of its kind in the country. It has the capacity to accommodate 25 families with up to five members. This is the only camp in Belgium that has its own school.

The school is installed in a container at the initiative of the municipal authorities to ensure that children have access to education.

The "school container" measures about 8 meters by 3 meters with a height of about 2.5 meters.

Opening the side door of the container, three school tables immediately catch the eye. Around each table are four chairs. On one of them were paper notes with alphabetic and Arabic numerals.

Agnes Van Camp is the principal of this school, and works there alone.

She explains that students there follow basic courses starting with numbers and the alphabet.

Most children do not even know how to write their names. Nomadic life does not allow them to attend regular education.

The Ghent camp allows each Gypsy family to stay for a maximum of three weeks no more than five times a year.

The parents of these children usually work in the construction sector, repairing cars or selling used vehicles. They agree to pay for school supplies.

Unfortunately, it is not possible for the children to take their materials with them when they leave for new camps. Often the children will leave their pencils. It is not uncommon for a child who leaves for a new destination with their parents to ask the teacher to properly maintain their pencils for the next visit.

Van Camp shows a pot in a corner filled with pencils waiting for the return of their users.

The teacher explains that visiting children speak different languages and that their literacy is very low. Therefore, the school has planned a number of educational games. In one corner, a bin is filled with many toys.

The teacher said she sees many Gypsy children who have good academic potential. Unfortunately, the lack of stability in their lives does not allow for educational progress. Endit