Racialised underclass: pathways to work for Roma students in the Czech Republic

This paper examines the interplay of class and race in the education of Roma students in the Czech Republic. We contribute to the literature on the role of teachers as gatekeepers to future education and employment by looking into how they assign educational and career routes based on what they perceive as appropriate for particular students, with students' backgrounds being the deciding criterion. Race and social class are central points of reference, which may operate separately or in concert. The perceived low aspirations of Roma children do not only result from an association with their social class but are also a product of a racialised school environment, which builds on an understanding of biologised and homogenous Roma identities. We interviewed twenty pedagogues twice, at the beginning of the school year (2021/2022) and towards the end of the year, as their students were preparing to transition from compulsory to secondary education.