Finland’s only Romani language summer school fights to preserve endangered tongue

Finland’s only Romani language summer school, held this week in Punkaharju, drew about 90 participants as part of efforts to prevent the language’s disappearance, organisers told public broadcaster Yle.

Unesco classifies Romani as critically endangered. In the 1950s, around 70% of Finland’s Romani population spoke the language fluently; today, only about a third do, according to the Finnish National Agency for Education.

Teacher Armas Hagert, who has taught at the school since its first year in 1996, said young people now consume English-language content like films and social media videos, while parents often do not speak Romani at home. “Children watch YouTube in English. There simply isn’t this kind of content in Romani,” he said.

Ossi Blomerus, the school’s coordinator for the past 20 years, said demand outstripped capacity this year due to space limitations. Participants included Romani families from across Finland and Sweden, with ages ranging from children to an 80-year-old attendee.

Blomerus credited former president Tarja Halonen with playing a pivotal role in establishing the school. Halonen, who advocated for Romani rights during her presidency, sent a congratulatory letter marking the school’s 30th anniversary, noting the challenge of balancing cultural preservation with integration.

A Finnish National Agency for Education report highlights a shortage of Romani language teachers, while organisers stress the need for long-term, stable support to revive the language.