One autumn day, Pavel and his friends were having fun at school, laughing and enjoying their day. When the bell rang, everyone returned to their seats.
The teacher walked into the room with someone new—a boy named Ethan. The teacher introduced him to the class.
Ethan was thin, had darker skin, and wore clothes that looked old and worn out. He was different from everyone else at school because he was Roma, and there had never been a Roma student in their school before.
The teacher told the class to take out their notebooks and pencils. Everyone did, except for Erhan. He sat quietly, looking down at his desk. The teacher asked him to take out his things, so he reached into his bag and pulled out a broken pencil.
The other kids saw his pencil and started laughing. Ethan looked embarrassed. The teacher stopped the laughter and told Pavel to share a piece of paper and lend Erhan a pencil. When Pavel gave him the supplies, a small smile appeared on Ethan’s face.
Later in the class, the teacher asked everyone to read what they had written. When it was Erhan’s turn, he looked nervous. He started reading slowly, dragging his words. His face turned red, and his hands trembled.
Some kids began to laugh and call him names like “illiterate.” Pavel and others shouted mean things, making Erhan cry. He ran out of the classroom.