Education during the Covid-19 lockdown – Experiences of Roma students from substandard settlements in Belgrade

The Covid-19 pandemic shifted school classes from classrooms to the various online platforms. This situation impacted the education of all students, and students living in substandard conditions were particularly affected. We asked 119 Roma students (50.4% males), aged between 12 and 19 years (M = 14.88; SD = 1,69), from substandard settlements in Belgrade (four 5-point Likert-scale questions) about their teaching experiences during the lockdown.The results showed that 83.3% of participants disagree with the statement: "I was technically well prepared to follow the online classes." Only 24.4% of respondents claim that teachers contacted them regularly regarding distance learning. Similarly, only 29% of them claim that their school was well organized during the epidemiological measures. In the end, the average response to the question "I think I lost a lot when it comes to learning because of the epidemic" was M = 3.25 (SD = 0,84). These results indicated that the situation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic significantly impacted the educational process among Roma students who live in substandard settlements in Belgrade. Apparently, poor living conditions, combined with poor teaching organization and inadequate technical equipment, significantly disrupted the learning process of these students during the lockdown.