New Education Figures Show Need for Urgent Action

Pavee Point welcomes publication of a new Education Department report on Traveller school attendance 2016 – 2020. 

Data, and in particular disaggregated data on the basis of ethnicity, is essential for ethnic equality monitoring which can help create conditions for Traveller equality in education access, participation and outcomes at all levels. 

The reports are limited and given end dates for some categories, the well reported negative outcomes of COVID for Travellers in relation to education are not included. 

Although the figures show positive trends in relation to Traveller retention in relation to Junior Certificate and enrolment at post-primary level, they also indicate continued low levels of Traveller retention to Leaving Certificate compared to the national average.

This highlights the urgent need for the development, resourcing and implementation of the National Traveller Education Strategy as promised in the current Programme for Government.  

Urgent action is particularly needed at first and second levels. The figures  also indicated the need for timelined and resourced targets for Travellers, at these levels, are needed immediately to bring Traveller senior cycle completion to the levels of all other sections of the population.  

Full report – Pupils from the Traveller Community 2016 – 2020.