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Travellers and Post-Primary Education

TRAVELLERS AND POST PRIMARY EDUCATION

A Report by the Irish Traveller Movement

For discussion at the conference "Travellers and Post Primary Education".held in Mary Immaculate College of Education on Saturday the 14^th of February 1998

"In the past thirty years in Ireland there has been a significant improvement in both the standard of and access to second-level education for the general population of young people. However, this has had little or no impact on Traveller population in Ireland during this time… An Ad Hoc Group of the Association of Chief Executive Officers of certain Vocational Education Committees reported (1993) (Ref.21) that only approximately 100 Traveller children aged twelve to fifteen years were attending mainstream second-level schools out of the estimated 2000 children eligible to do so. The majority of Traveller children who attend second-level schools leave within the first two years. These figures clearly demonstrate that the second-level educational needs of Traveller children, though very critical, are not being met and that positive action is urgently required to redress the situation."

Report of the Task Force on the Travelling Community 1995

Introduction

It is clear from the Report of the Task Force on the Travelling Community and from the experiences of Travellers and Traveller organisations that the majority of Travellers are not accessing and benefiting from second level education. This is an issue of great concern to the Irish Traveller Movement. Much discussion has already taken place about the reasons for the low participation rates of Travellers in post primary. In producing this report the main concern of the Irish Traveller Movement is to engage Travellers, both parents and students, in a dialogue about their experience of post primary and to identify the main issues of concern and to make recommendations based on this dialogue. We hope that this report will generate further debate on this important topic.

This process began with a series of workshops, which the Irish Traveller Movement held during 1997. In Galway we held a workshop with Traveller participants who have had some past experience of post primary. In Limerick and Dublin we held workshops with Traveller parents addressing the issue of post-primary education. Our workshop in Tipperary brought together Travellers who are post-primary students at present.

This report presents the main findings and the recommendations that came out of these workshops. As part of the process the Irish Traveller Movement has also drawn on the experience of professionals within the education system, as well as other interested individuals. The report highlights the key policy and structural changes that the Irish Traveller Movement recommends for improving Traveller access and participation in post primary education.

Report from the ITM Workshops

The workshops presented the opportunity for Traveller parents and young Travellers to talk about their experiences of the education system and to look at why many young Travellers are not participating in post primary. The Workshops also sought to bring forward recommendations on what can be done to improve the situation. The feedback from the workshops are presented under the headings: Transition, Curriculum / Culture, School Environment, and Family / Home Environment.

Transition

Many of the young Travellers at the workshops found the transition from primary to post primary difficult. The most common factor they highlighted was the inability to keep up with all the new subjects. The following are other key issues that were identified by the participants in the workshops:

Longer school days.
The higher costs associated with post-primary education.
The transition from one teacher to many teachers.
In cases wher Travellrs were older thatn their classmates they found this difficult.
Many of the young Travellers had difficulty with their homework. The reasons identified included: parents lack of formal education, and in some instances the lack of suitable space at home.
Accessing transport for post-primary education was more difficult.
Feeling isolated due to the low numbers of other Travellers in the school
Peer pressure from other Travellers who are not attending school
No previous family history of attending post primary
Both parents and young Travellers felt strongly that where they had attended segregated Traveller classes within the primary school system, this had a negative impact on their overall attainment, which contributed to the difficulties they experienced in entering post-primary.
Some Travellers felt embarrassed when they could not understand and / or answer questions in the classroom.

Curriculum

The Curriculum is of key importance to the experience of Travellers as it either validates or denies the life experience of Travellers. The workshop participants stated that Travellers' distinct culture and identity was not reflected in the post primary curriculum. Other issues identified relating to curriculum included:

Practical subjects were the most popular.
Languages (particularly Irish) were identified as unpopular.
Maths presented difficulties.
School curriculum should reflect the various cultures and ethnic groups that make up Irish Society.
Parents were not very aware of the range of subjects taught at post primary and the importance of choosing the appropriate subjects.
Parents did not understand the examination systems at post primary level.

School Environment

Some schools, which had learned from their experience of having Travellers in the school, had a more positive approach to Travellers; this was reflected in the way in which the school authorities dealt with the discrimination experienced by many of the young Travellers involved in the discussions and also in their overall support of Travellers within the system. Other points which emerged from the workshops included:

Parents involved in the discussions expressed the view that many of their children's teachers had low expectations of them. Some of the young Travellers felt they had been encouraged to leave school altogether.
Many of the parents felt that some of the teachers or principals did not have an adequate understanding of Travellers' culture and identity which often left many of the Travellers denying their identity or feeling embarrassed about it in the school environment.
Mixed feelings were expressed by young Travellers in relation to their settled peers. Some felt it was a good opportunity to mix and experienced no difficulties while others had negative experiences such as bullying and name-calling.
Some Travellers who had or were attending post primary school felt they experienced hostility within the school environment.

Family and Home Environment

Family support and home environment play a pivotal role in the success or failure of a child's education. However social factors also affect how these supports operate. Traveller experience discrimination at every level of their daily lives, low standards of accommodation and lack of support from outside agencies are but a few of the factors which impact on Travellers' education and parental support, other factors include:

Many parents acknowledged that they themselves had negative experiences of school. This contributed to the fact that they themselves often felt unwelcome in the school and experienced feelings of embarrassment or being talked down to.
Traveller parents expressed fear or concern about the possibilities of their children being negatively influenced by mixing with settled teenagers. This related particularly to alcohol and drug abuse as well as fears about loss of Traveller identity.
Traveller parents felt that they needed more information on the post primary system as a whole. One issue, which presented difficulties, was the different type of examinations and the benefits of them. Parents questioned the relevance of education and what opportunities it would present to their children outside of the Traveller community.
Parents identified many issues relating to their social and home environment, which affected their children's education. Poor accommodation, lack of basic facilities and discrimination are the key factors that parents identified.
The lack of previous participation by any family member in post primary was again highlighted by the parents as affecting their attitude toward post primary education.
Some parents felt more comfortable sending their children to Traveller training centres.
While it was acknowledged that attendance was important, there was varying views on whether attendance should be enforced or not. Non-enforcement seems to reflect a failure to take the Travellers situation seriously; enforcement without the necessary adjustments in school ethos and curriculum seems overly punitive.

Policy Context

It is impossible to adequately tackle the issue of Traveller participation in post primary education without addressing the wider context in which Travellers live especially that of poor accommodation, poor health and widespread discrimination. The Report of the Task Force on the Travelling Community (1995) set out an ambitious agenda for addressing this wider context. It is possible to recognise that some progress has been made in addressing this agenda including: the establishment of the Traveller Unit in the department of the Environment and the National Traveller Accommodation Consultative Group, the introduction of the Employment Equality Bill and the promise to reintroduce the Equal Status Legislation, and the making of resources available in health board areas to address Traveller health issues. There is a great need for further action and investment. Committees based on a partnership model are needed in the Departments of Education and Science and in the Department of Health. There needs to be a more coherent approach to implementation at the local level. It is also essential that a Committee be established by the minister of Justice Equality and Law Reform to adequately monitor the implementation of the Task Force recommendations.

In the section of the Task Force report dealing with Traveller education a key recommendation was the establishment of a Traveller Unit within the Department of Education under the direction of an assistant secretary with an advisory committee comprised of staff and management representatives, Traveller parents, Traveller organisations, the Association of Teachers of Travellers (ATTP) and the National Association of Traveller Training Centres (NATC). To date the department has responded by setting up an internal co-ordinating committee without participation for Travellers of Traveller organisations or any other external players.

The importance of such an advisory committee is also recognised in the Partnership 2000 agreement, which states that:

"A special Committee within the Department of Education will develop, in partnership with representatives of the Traveller Community, a national policy framework for Traveller education in line with the Task Force Report and co-ordinate its implementations."

This advisory committee is essential to ensure that there is a co-ordinated response to the education needs of Travellers.

Since the publication of the Report of the Task Force some changes have taken place with regards to Traveller education. One of the key developments has been the integration of Travellers from special (segregated) classes into mainstream classes. Additional supports are still available to Traveller children on a withdrawal basis, it is important that this system operates on a needs basis rather than automatically for all Traveller children.

The Visiting Teacher Service has been increased from 12 posts to 20 posts. This is a positive step but falls short of the 39 posts recommended as the minimum by the Task Force. There is a need to increase numbers in this service and to strengthen their brief in relation to post-primary education.

It is also important to note the objectives that were set in the White Paper on Education: "Charting our Education Future" in relation to post primary education for Travellers. While recognising that the present government will set its own priorities nevertheless the target set in the Whit Paper that within ten years, all Traveller children of second-level, school-going age will complete junior cycle education and 50% will complete the senior cycle is welcomed. Clearly these types of targets will not be met unless additional resources are directed in this area. Report number 11 of the National Economic and Social Forum, "Early School Leavers and Youth Unemployment" supports the need for additional resources to be directed at Traveller Education and in particular recommends that "the Department of Education should bring forward separate proposals setting out clear objectives to meet the needs of Traveller children (i.e. the same retention and achievement rates as other children)".

In addition Traveller participation in post primary education will be effected by the level and quality of their participation in other educational arena. These include:

the quality of pre-school provision
the experience of Travellers in primary schools
opening up opportunities for Travellers to participate in third level colleges
the role envisaged for Traveller Training Centres
the type and extent of education and training opportunities made available to adult Travellers

This demonstrates the need for a co-ordinated and multi-dimensional approach to the education needs of Travellers.

It is also clear that schools are reflective of the attitudes of the wider society and that without addressing the discrimination faced by Travellers in the wider society we will not have schools where Travellers can participate equally.

Intercultural Education

The European Community had identified education as being of crucial importance in combating social exclusion. As with all areas of education, certain key concepts must be included if content and delivery is to be equitable for all. Since 1992 the Department of Education has been using European funding to promote intercultural education in Ireland. Although a new concept in Ireland, it is one of critical importance for education as a whole.

The European Commission in its document "Intercultural Education in Europe" explores the concept of intercultural education as:

"Intercultural education aims to develop understanding among pupils and teachers from different cultural and ethnic origins. The goal is the integration of these particular origins; it is not their assimilation into a uniform culture. Activities promoting the study of different cultures and their structure and evolution, developing the ability of different groups to communicate with each other, and developing the ability to gain insight into cultural difference."

"Intercultural education implies an education that promotes interaction and understanding among and between different cultures and ethnic groups on the assumption that ethnic diversity can enrich society."

ITM Policy Document : Education and Travellers

The principle of Intercultural education in applied in the primary school setting would make a significant contribution towards making the schools more accessible to Travellers as well as improving the quality of education for all pupils.

Principles for intercultural education should include:

Positive promotion of different cultures and ethnic groups
Education practices which encourage mutual respect and understanding among all pupils
Teaching materials that show a positive attitude towards customs, traditions and lifestyles of all minority groups
A system of education committed to the principles of anti-racism and interculturalism which promotes equal opportunities for everyone
A curriculum that presents an accurate picture of Irish society as one rich with cultural diversity
A curriculum that helps students appreciate and learn that all human beings have common needs and characteristics and that these take different forms cross-culturally
The curriculum and the school at all levels must counter negative attitudes and stereotypes of all minority groups especially Travellers. Intercultural education needs to include various anti-racist / intercultural programmes backed up by appropriate resources such as textbooks, videos, tapes, games, etc.

School, the curriculum, teachers and school management need to incorporate intercultural, anti-racist and equality-focused education if second level education is to welcome Travellers. Many models of good practice are available from education authorities in the UK which have successfully used intercultural and anti racist material to develop inclusion and achievement and combat exclusion, prejudice and low attainment among Travellers, Gypsies and other ethnic minorities.

Recommendations

The following recommendations are focused on the needs of Travellers and are advanced in the light of the ITM workshop reports. It should however be noted that these recommendations, if implemented, will not only improve the educational experience of Travelers but also will enhance the education of all students. The recommendations highlight a wide range of issues specific to the experience of Travellers yet relevant to the needs of the education system overall.

Recommendations to the Department of Education

In line with the NESF report (November 1997) "Partnership 2000: Development of the Equality Provisions", ITM supports its recommendation that a joint liaison committee involving the National Traveller Organisations be established by the Department of Education to allow for ongoing input into the deliberations on Traveller education policy.
The Department needs to make available support, financial and otherwise for young Travellers in post primary level similar to those that exist at primary level.
The school curriculum at primary and post primary needs to be more reflective of the differences that exist within Irish society and reflect the diverse cultural identities that make up Irish society.

"The Dept. of Education, in consultation with the National Council for Curriculum Assessment, should ensure that Travellers and their lifestyle are reflected in an integrated way in all aspects of the primary level curriculum. The way of life and culture of Travellers and other minorities should be reflected in materials in an intercultural way" Task Force on the Travelling Community FR.75 p.181

Teachers and other staff including management, both at initial training and in-service training level, need input on Traveller and other minority cultures and look at their own understanding, practice and attitudes in such a forum so as to bring it into the school environment in a positive way. The Department of Education should be responsible for implementing this training.

"Intercultural education should be included in the training programmes of all student teachers, such as higher diploma courses in all universities, teacher training colleges and regional colleges." Task Force on the Travelling Community FR.26 p.165

The Visiting Teacher Service should be expanded in line with the recommendations contained in the Report of the Task Force on the Travelling Community.
The home School Liaison Co-ordinators available in the post primary system should be utilised more in relation to encouraging Traveller parents to become involved in their programmes.
Training Centres for Travellers should be promoted in terms of serving as a bridge into mainstream education and not as an alternative to post primary education.

Recommendations for Schools

Schools should produce school charters that include commitments to inter-cultural and anti-racist training.

With regards to the transition of Travellers from primary to post primary, students in sixth class should have some level of exposure to post primary and parents should be included in this process.

Greater access to information on grants and funding for post primary should be made available to students and parents.

Some students entering post primary school are disadvantaged in terms of literacy and should receive extra tuition in this area while continuing with their other subjects.

Schools need to have clear codes of practice to deal with bullying in the school.

Schools need to have clear codes of practice to deal with bullying in the school.

The present withdrawal or remedial support for Travellers should be utilised on a needs basis only and a periodic review should be carried out of Travellers receiving such support to ensure that where possible, full integration into mainstream classes takes place.

Other avenues should be explored in regards to the effective use of resource teachers for Travellers besides the withdrawal system. For example resource teachers could be effective in promoting an anti-racist school ethos, providing materials to mainstream teachers to secure a more inter-cultural curriculum, act as a tutor for Traveller pupils and where necessary remedial supports, preferably within the mainstream class.

Teachers initial and ongoing training needs should include an intercultural module.

" Teachers are the key agents for change in schools. It is of the utmost importance that teachers are equipped to transmit democratic values and have the knowledge and skills to implement an intercultural and anti-racist curriculum." TFTC 2.5.11 p.165

Recommendations for Traveller Organisations and the Traveller Community

Traveller organisations should provide more opportunities for Traveller parents from around the country to meet locally and nationally and share their experiences, voice their opinions on the education of their children and to develop a dialogue on the importance of education.

Traveller organisations should work in partnership with the Visiting Teacher Service, Traveller parents, and the schools in the development of education services for Travellers at a local and national level.

Traveller organisations should be involved in all areas of education including Adult education and support Travellers interested in participating in these programmes.

Traveller organisations and Travellers should work on developing modules on Travellers culture to be used in schools (For staff and students) as part of an ongoing Traveller awareness programme.

Parents should be supported and encouraged to become more involved in the schools, this could be done through the programmes run by the Home School Liaison Co-ordinators and also through parent committees and management boards, and through National Parents Organisations.

Homework supports organised by Traveller organisations and schools should include Travellers in the implementation of these services and provide training for this.

Recommendations to other agencies

Improvements in Traveller participation and attainment in education requires that the overall issues which are faced by members of the Travellers community be addressed. Therefore it is vital that the Government put in place an adequately resourced Monitoring Committee to support and enhance the implementation of the recommendations contained in the Report of the Task Force on the Travelling Community.

Local partnerships play a significant role in terms of acting as a catalyst for change in the education system, through the employment of education co-ordinators, resourcing Traveller groups in areas of research and the employment of education development workers. They can have a direct impact on the education agenda locally, in terms of setting up education working groups to include Traveller issues and to ensure that these issues are addressed.

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