EDUCATION supporters of travelling people have warned that withdrawal of European Commission funding could have a serious effect on Scotland’s 15,000 strong Gypsy and Traveller community.
One of the leading advocates in Traveller education has called for designated officials in every education authority. Schools should also be made more aware of Travellers’ needs, Betty Jordan, director of the Scottish Travellers’ Education Programme, says.
Ms Jordan told a meeting of the Traveller Education Network (TENET) in Falkirk that recent improvements must not “slide off the agenda” as a result of European cutbacks.
If local authorities do not appoint a “named person” they would end up with piecemeal and ad hoc arrangements. She said: “It is really important that each local authority has a single named person who takes responsibility, preferably someone who has policy and resources attached to their remit, to ensure that there is a cohesive plan that sits within the authority development plan which is then understood and acted upon.”
The withdrawal of European funding could have a knock-on effect in Scotland if EU member states no longer see Traveller issues as “high focus”, she said. The Commission has ended the ring-fencing of support for Travellers and Ms Jordan fears that, without international pressure, there may be a loss of momentum in Scotland despite the Government’s social inclusion agenda.
Diana Dodd of Edinburgh and West Lothian Travellers’ project said that while most Travellers were happy for children to attend primary school, there is often a reluctance to have them continue into secondary.
She held out hopes that the introduction of new community schools would make a difference. “Using working-together strategies and developing alternative types of provision for those who are getting nothing at the moment is a start towards developing an appropriate curriculum for these particular young people.
“It may not necessarily be a full timetable or even within a school building. It could be in a local community centre or FE college.”
Ms Jordan said that there was “an enormous job to be done” in breaking the cycle of Travellers being marginalised from access to school education, especially secondary education.
“There are different reasons for that, including schools failing to meet Travellers’ needs,” she said. “The Travellers are adamant that what they want is to educate their youngsters into the travelling life, not to be educated to become settled people.”
