Fundación Secretariado Gitano is exploring whether Artificial Intelligence can reduce the educational gap among Roma students [editar]
Fundación Secretariado Gitano has launched the initiative Roma Innova: Evidence to reduce social and educational inequality among Roma children this academic year. One of its programmes, Empowering Teachers in the Age of AI, has involved the incorporation of artificial intelligence (AI) tools (led by the teachers themselves) into the academic support classes attended by Roma children. The programme was rolled out across 41 towns and cities, involving 980 students from year 5 of primary school to year 4 of secondary school, and 238 teachers.
The programme’s effectiveness has been measured through a randomised controlled trial which randomly assigns half of the participants to the group that has used AI in the educational support sessions (980 students and 238 teachers), and the other half to the control group, whilst systematically collecting data. This is a rigorous methodology that will provide solid evidence regarding the effectiveness – or otherwise – of AI in the classroom when teachers take the lead in its implementation.
This evaluation has benefited from the involvement of the public policy analysis centre EsadeEcPol as a strategic partner, alongside a highly competent research team. The results of this pioneering initiative will shed light on the potential of AI tailored to the realities of Roma students to improve their learning and enrich the methodology of the educational programmes Promociona and PromocionaT. These programmes, supported by the European Union, are helping an increasing number of Roma children and young people to complete Compulsory Secondary Education and continue their education in post-compulsory and higher education.
A project with different phases
Roma Innova has been rolled out in different phases: analysing the actual needs of FSG classrooms through focus groups; selecting the artificial intelligence application (Playlab); conducting initial diagnostic tests; randomly assigning teachers and students to treatment and control groups; training teachers; and distributing digital tablets. Following this, the pilot scheme was carried out, with regular monitoring of usage and support provided to teachers to optimise the use of AI for educational support. Finally, final assessments were conducted to analyse its impact on students’ skills.
Gabriela Jorquera, head of the Education and Children’s Strategy at Fundación Secretariado Gitano, states that “we want to test whether AI designed with the realities of Roma students in mind can improve learning, support teachers’ work and make the educational response more effective. Through this programme, we aim to generate rigorous evidence that drives pedagogical innovation and helps to reduce an unacceptable gap: today, six out of ten Roma students leave compulsory education without obtaining their Compulsory Secondary Education certificate.”
Roma Innova is funded by the national ESF+ programme for Social Inclusion, Child Protection and the Fight against Poverty. It began in September 2025 and will conclude in October 2026.
