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Alternative Education - Minority Groups Children from the travelling community have exactly the same rights to education as anyone else. In addition, they are entitled to have their culture recognised and valued. However, they are among the most educationally disadvantaged groups in Ireland. Although 90% of primary aged children attend school, a significant proportion do not go on to secondary education. Children from the travelling community are encouraged to attend mainstream schooling wherever possible, but it is recognised that parents have the right to choose alternative education if they so wish. Although many traveller children attend mainstream school, a number attend Junior Traveller Training Centres. In the last twenty five years education for children from traveller backgrounds has improved greatly. Back then only 4000 traveller children were in primary schools and 100 in secondary schools, more than half of them in segregated classes or receiving special help or support. Nowadays the figures are 6000+ in primary and 1400 in secondary with most receiving help in ordinary classes. Schools are provided with additional funding to enable them to use outreach to help travelling families participate in school life and the Visiting Teacher Service has a role in encouraging participation. In addition schools can apply for special funding to employ a resource teacher for travellers. Where this is provided, traveller children should be educated mainly within their the main classroom. Transport can be provided for pupils. Making traveller children feel welcome is important and you should show that their culture is recognised and celebrated; displays can be helpful. They will probably need to be assessed for numeracy, literacy and ICT since they are less likely to have had experience of ICT beyond the use of a playstation. It may be necessary to have more practical work in the early stages as some of these children may not have had much experience of sitting in a classroom all day. Be aware of their possible insecurities and give them a 'safe haven' which they can use if they wish at breaktimes and lunchtimes. Further Information
Peter Mullan, Media Officer can be contacted on 018047764 or 086 2643 558
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