21 November, 2006 - Education is vital element in supporting greater Traveller participation and empowerment in society

Lifelong learning should be a key aspiration for everyone including Travellers - Minister Hanafin

"The link between education, lifelong learning, training and enterprise is perhaps the most vital in helping to increase the range of life choices available to Travellers" said the Minister for Education, Mary Hanafin T.D., today.  The Minister was launching the Report and Recommendations for a Traveller Education Strategy, presented to her by the Advisory Committee on Traveller Education. 

Welcoming the report, Minister Hanafin said "we must ensure that equality and diversity permeate all aspects of our education system. Education is a vital element in supporting greater participation and empowerment by Travellers in our society. The report contains many recommendations across the education spectrum for parents, pre-school, primary, post primary, further education, higher education and lifelong learning.   It provides a catalyst for moving on from what was, in the past, a negative experience for many Travellers, towards a quality education for all in an inclusive and integrated setting." 

The Minister said that the Department's approach to implementation should be viewed in the overall context of the Government's commitment to improving outcomes for Travellers through sustained interagency cooperation and positive engagement with Travellers and other stakeholders.

The report presented to the Minister

• Examines existing provisions and supports for Travellers in education at all levels from pre-school to higher education
• Identifies objectives for Traveller education, sets out plans of action, with suggested time scales
• Makes recommendations in relation to optimising or reallocating existing resources
• Sets out expected outcomes
• Addresses all aspects of Traveller education taking a holistic lifelong learning perspective from pre-school provision to adult and continuing education.

One of the areas of immediate priority for the Minister is the mainstreaming of provision for Travellers.  "This will be achieved by the phasing out, over a period of time, of segregated provision for Travellers in pre-schools, primary and post primary education.  It will also include the ending of enhanced capitation grants for Travellers, over 12 years of age, attending primary schools in order to ensure progression onto second level and beyond? said Minister Hanafin.

Minister Hanafin acknowledged the time and commitment of the committee members responsible for preparing the report. They represent the key stakeholders in Traveller education. She particularly welcomed the emphasis on equality and diversity and the adoption of an intercultural approach which she said was in line with the integrated approach being adopted by the High Level Group on Traveller Issues and by the National Action Plan Against Racism. 

The Minister announced that a Co-ordinating Committee consisting of senior officials from her Department with responsibility for different areas of Traveller education has been established to oversee the implementation of the recommendations in the report. The Advisory Committee on Traveller Education will continue to evaluate progress and advise the Department on Traveller education into the future.

"While the participation of Traveller children in education has greatly improved in recent years" the Minister said, "the findings of the Survey of Traveller Education Provision (STEP) published by the Inspectorate of the Department in May of this year, has shown that attendance levels are still a matter for concern.  In keeping with the commitment of the Department to improve attendance levels generally, it will be a priority matter in the implementation of the report that available resources will be utilised to improve the attendance of Travellers.  This will require the commitment of all the stakeholders involved including Traveller parents."

Another major area in the report which merits priority measures is the issue of attainment for Travellers. It is now the case that almost all young Travellers transfer from primary to post primary education as a result of intensive work with between schools, families, the Visiting Teacher Service for Travellers and National Education Welfare Board.  The report recommends that 100% of Traveller students complete junior cycle and 50% of those should continue on and complete senior cycle or its equivalent.  "These are challenging targets which will require the commitment of all those involved in Traveller education. It will, in particular, require better attendance levels by many more young Travellers in both primary and post-primary schools.  Likewise, progression to further education, training or employment needs to increase for Travellers" said the Minister. 

The report recommends that for Travellers in Senior Traveller Training Centres progression rates should increase from 53% to 75% within the next five years.  To date this has been difficult to progress but the work of the High Level Group on Traveller Issues has shown that improved progression opportunities can be achieved when an interagency approach is adopted. 

In collaboration with the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, training in equality and diversity is being prioritised for primary, post primary and further education.  Both Departments will be co-operating closely on joint projects to improve the quality of education available to Travellers.

Minister Hanafin concluded by saying that "we are seeing a small but significant number of educational achievements by Travellers in recent times, but now the onus is on all of us to play our part in order that these achievements may be built upon and improved into the future."

ENDS

Membership of the Advisory Committee on Traveller Education, comprised representatives of the following organisations:

Department of Education & Science
Association of Community and Comprehensive Schools
Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland
Catholic Primary School Managers Association
Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform
Irish National Teachers Organisation
Irish Traveller Movement
Irish Vocational Education Association
National Association of Traveller Centres
National Council for Curriculum and Assessment
National Parents Council ? Primary
National Travellers Women?s Forum
Pavee Point
Secretariat of Secondary Schools and Joint Managerial Body
Teachers Union of Ireland