Pavee Point welcomes the publication of the first national Traveller and Roma Education Strategy (TRES) following its consideration by cabinet on July 15th and the subsequent launch statement by Norma Foley Minister for Education on July 16th. This short note provides a brief indication of the Strategy’s background and concerns and will be supplemented by further work later. It also reflects the comments made by Pavee Point colleagues on 16th and these are linked below as well as the Strategy and the Ministers press release.
We acknowledge the progress that has been made towards Traveller and Roma education equality not least due to the efforts of Traveller and Roma parents and community initiatives but there is a very long road to go which needs to involve and respect all including Traveller and Roma community groups and organisations. These have a key role to play and need resources to fulfil it.
Since our foundation in 1985 as Dublin Travellers Education and Development Group, Pavee Point has seen education as key to the realisation of Traveller and Roma rights. Alongside other Traveller organisations, Pavee Point has campaigned for decades for holistic Department of Education policies and action to address the glaring gaps in Traveller and Roma education rights and for recognition that the education experiences of Traveller and Roma are all too often of racism and discrimination. This has denied Traveller and Roma rights and life chances and added to inter- generational marginalisation. The publication and launch of the Strategy are important steps but only a start.
The goal of the Strategy is to
Ensure equity of access, opportunity and outcomes, as well as meaningful participation, across the continuum of education for all Travellers and Roma, including people with additional educational needs, in an inclusive system where Travellers and Roma are respected and supported to fulfil their potential, and where Traveller and Roma cultures and ethnic identities are acknowledged, visible and valued.
The Plan for Implementation embeds the strategy and the associated actions in Irelands national and international human rights obligations. Developing the Strategy involved a collaborative process. It included six consultations coordinated by Traveller and organisations and groups working with Roma which led to an independent report recording the concerns and recommendations of the Traveller and Roma participants; an ongoing Advisory Group of Traveller organisations and groups working with Roma; and an online survey to get the views of others interested as well as engagement with education providers. The structures inclusive of Travellers and Roma outlined to oversee and monitor implementation of the Strategy now need to be urgently established so that the principles and promises in it can begin to become real.
For example, according to the Ministers Statement on 16th the first two year implementation plan will involve the appointment of two national Traveller and Roma Education Coordinators, an additional Supporting Traveller and Roma, STAR Coordinator and family link workers.
Other key actions outlined in the plan include to:
- Increase the numbers of young people remaining in school to 6th year and achieving a Leaving Certificate
- Promote training on inclusion and diversity through teacher professional learning, develop more targeted cultural competence training
- Promote diversity in the education sector workforce
- Teach Traveller culture and history through the curriculum
- Introduce an information series on key education matters and policies as they relate to Traveller and Roma children and young people, which is accessible and available in a number of languages
Through the Equal Start early learning and childcare model:
- Ensure all Traveller and Roma children participate in the ECCE programme
- Welcome and include Traveller and Roma families in early learning and childcare
- Ensure all early years educators and school age practitioners have training and resources in diversity and inclusion
- Offer additional supports to targeted services
- Ensure that students accessing tertiary education have a positive and welcoming experience
- Provide flexible and responsive learning opportunities
- Create safe and inclusive higher education campuses
- Through research, identify barriers to accessing tertiary education
On the latest data published by the Department of Education, 31% of Travellers sit the Leaving Cert as opposed to 93% of non-Travellers. Just over 70% of Traveller children participate in early years versus over 90% of non-Travellers. There is a lack of data on Roma children which needs to be addressed to set appropriate and realistic targets. The barriers which prevent many Roma children participating in education such as the Habitual Residence Condition, lack of Child Benefit, as well as language issues also need to be urgently addressed.
For Pavee Point commitment to increasing the numbers completing Senior Cycle and Leaving Cert has to mean the development of year on year targets and timelines to be included in the Strategies action plan along with resources to ensure this. For participation in Early Years provision it should mean parity with the rest of the population during the lifetime of the Strategy. In addition, data on Roma participation needs to be collected and made available and the barriers to Roma education participation addressed.
The collaboration and joint approach with the associated Ministries of FHERIS and DCEDIY is an acknowledgment of education quality as a continuum. While their targets need reinforcement and to be more ambitious both Depts already have policies e.g., in the Equity of Access Plan and the Early Start Programme which name Travellers and Roma. They and in particular the Dept of Education need to ensure that implementing the Strategy brings real progress towards equality of access participation and outcomes for Roma and Travellers at all levels in the system and all levels in the education workforce.
Further information to follow next week.
For information and to read the strategy and implementation plan, please visit here.
Comments from Pavee Point:
Commenting on the publication of the TRES, Martin Collins, Pavee Point, Co-Director, said, “The Strategy needs to ensure that Travellers’ education experiences, which all too often have been of racism and discrimination, can no longer get in the way of our community’s education ambitions. The collaborative process put in place by the Department of Education for the development of this strategy needs to continue to transform education so it can bring full participation and best outcomes at all levels for all.”
Speaking about recent progress made in Traveller and Roma education, Mr. Collins said, “We welcome the new Early Start early years programme which seeks to support better outcomes for Traveller children with targeted actions. We look forward to seeing how this translates to better education outcomes for Traveller children.”
“Barriers which prevent many Roma children participating in education such as the Habitual Residence Condition, lack of Child Benefit, as well as language issues, need to be urgently addressed,” said Vanessa Paszkowska, Roma Education worker, Pavee Point. “Rapid collection and availability of disaggregated data on the basis of ethnicity is crucial to create real targets for Roma education, as well as immediate moves to remove the barriers which make participation in education difficult for some Roma children.”
Speaking on the next steps, Mr. Collins said, “The Department must ensure that the Strategy contains targets and timelines to support parity of participation at all levels, as well as dedicated resources.”