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Listen
G
Gypsy and Traveller Children
It is important that any policies and practices
developed for ensuring children's and young people's safety
and wellbeing are sensitive to the diversity between and
within different Gypsy and Traveller groups (see also
Minority Ethnic Communities).
There is a clear distinction between Gypsies/Travellers
and Occupational Travellers/Travelling Showpeople.
Gypsies/Travellers regard themselves as ethnic minorities
(Gypsies; Scottish Travellers; Irish Travellers; etc)
whilst Occupational Travellers/Travelling Showpeople are
business communities whose work happens to necessitate a
travelling lifestyle.
When referring to both groups, the shorthand term
'Gypsies and Travellers' is most commonly used.
Contact with families while travelling
School staff should generally be aware that:
- some families move as work opportunities arise or
to be with extended family networks, so children
enrolled at school can be withdrawn suddenly, and may
leave no indication of where they have gone or for how
long. Families may not always know their forwarding
address before leaving
- a positive relationship with families obviously
increases the likelihood of being informed. Where
possible, schools should keep in touch with families,
while they are travelling, by mobile phone, to pass on
learning materials or news of friends in the school.
This should not be given the appearance of
surveillance
- a school answering machine is useful, so that
traveller families may leave messages when the school
is closed (
e.g. if they begin travelling during
school holidays)
- schools that wish to maintain contact with
travelling pupils can sometimes keep in touch with them
through the network of contacts within the Traveller
Education Services and Scottish Traveller Education
Project, with an email facility for requesting
information or passing on messages
http://www.education.ed.ac.uk/step
- when due dates of return are known (
e.g. for children of families whose work
is seasonal) and if the child does not arrive as
expected, school staff should inform the education
authority Child Protection in Education Manager who
should follow procedures for tracing children (see
Children Missing from Education Section of the Safe and
Well Handbook)
- if the school, or the education authority Child
Protection in Education Manager is unsure of the
whereabouts of a child of Travelling Showpeople, the
office of the Showmen's Guild may be able to provide an
itinerary of sites and towns to which show people's
families will be travelling: 8 Fitzroy Place, Glasgow
G3 7RH Tel. No. 0141 221 7297
www.showmensguild.com
.
Liaison
- positive relationships and open communication with
Gypsy and Traveller parents will help schools maintain
links with families and include them positively when
they return from travelling (see also Parents)
- communicate sensitively. There is a strong oral
tradition among Gypsies and Travellers. Low literacy
levels means communication with families must be
developed without reliance solely on written
communication. Where formal procedures or meetings are
required, this must be borne in mind
- it is helpful to have good contact with local
authority and health staff who also liaise with
Gypsy/Traveller families, to facilitate the exchange of
information. Many local authorities and local police
forces have a Gypsy/Traveller Liaison officer who
visits local authority sites and roadside
encampments.
Support
- Gypsies and Traveller children are often the
victims of bullying and harassment. Schools should make
it clear to Gypsies and Travellers that they will
support all children involved, and that such incidents
will be taken seriously. If a school suspects that
absence is as a result of bullying, home-school link
staff or other staff who know the family should contact
them
- some Gypsy and Traveller families do not regard
school education as relevant to their children's needs,
but this is not always the case. Avoid stereotypes that
lead to low expectations of young people, but be
prepared to find ways to engage the pupil and the
family in discussion particularly around the time of
transitions to ensure they are aware of the
opportunities schools provide. Other local authority or
health staff involved with families may assist this.
Schools providing flexible curriculum for pupils may
find vocational options are valued more by Gypsy and
Traveller pupils and families
- staff should attempt to ensure that the child's
right to education and their right to express their
views is sensitively supported
- schools and education authorities may find it
useful to refer to guidance produced by the Scottish
Executive,
STEP, and Learning and Teaching
Scotland, called,
Inclusive Educational Approaches for Gypsies and
Travellers within the context of interrupted
learning
www.scotland.gov.uk/resources/travellers.pdf and
also
Delivering for Scotland's Gypsies/Traveller'
www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/justice/dfsgt-00.asp
"When you get day after day of people calling you
names and insulting your family and your ways - well, why
would you go back? "
(young traveller)
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