8 th June 2005 8 June 2005 Angela Gibson Specialist Advisory Teaching Service Ethnic Minority Achievement
The Law Romany Gypsies and Irish Travellers are recognised as racial groups in England and Wales. They are protected under the Race Relations Act 1976 and the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000. The RRA: Extends protection against racial discrimination and places a new enforceable general duty on public authorities to have due regard in everything they do and the need to: in everything they do and the need to: � eliminate unlawful racial discrimination � promote equality of opportunity and good race relations � promote good race relations between people of different racial groups
The Law Whilst other groups of Travellers are currently not recognised as ethnic groups as defined by law, recent guidance from the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) suggests that test cases could bring other Traveller groups within the definition of an ethnic group
Traveller Groups A number of groups are covered by the term Traveller. It is important to remember that they all have their own distinct histories, cultures and beliefs. There are also many differing legal definitions of Gypsies and Travellers Gypsy Travellers Irish Travellers Scottish Travellers Scottish Travellers Welsh Gypsies Roma Occupational Travellers (Fairground families, Show People or Circus families) New Travellers Bargees
A short history …. A short history …. A short history …. A short history …. • 1994 – Criminal Justice Act – • 1505 – First record of Gypsies in increased powers to seize vehicles Britain and repealed ‘68 Act and removes • 1530 – Law passed which made being Treasury funding an immigrant ‘‘Egipcion’ punishable • 1996 - Education Act Section 14 by death places a duty on the LEA to • 1596 - 106 Gypsies condemned to provide a school place for all death at one sitting in York death at one sitting in York pupils. This duty extends to all pupils. This duty extends to all children whether residing • 1783 – First act repealing the above permanently or temporarily in the legislation LEA area • Second World War - 300,000 Gypsies • 1996 Education Act Section 444 died in the concentration camps (1-7) places a parallel duty on all • 1968 - Caravan Sites Act-duty to parents to ensure regular provide-enhanced powers of eviction attendance at school or to make alternative arrangements. • 1989 - Anglo-Romany Gypsies legally recognised as an ethnic group • 2000 – Irish Travellers legally recognised as an ethnic group
Facts and Figures • Estimates of the size of the Gypsy and Traveller population in the UK vary from 90,000 to 350,000. It is likely that even this is an underestimate • It is estimated that there are 15,000 Irish Travellers in Britain • The Gypsy and Traveller population is approx. 0.6% of the total UK population. This is larger than the Bangladeshi population population. This is larger than the Bangladeshi population • It is estimated there are 50,000 Gypsy and Traveller children aged 0-16. Lower than average school attendance and attainment, and high rates of exclusion from school remain real concerns • There are 116 Traveller pupil on roll of Cumbrian schools. Several more are Home Educated. • There are likely to be less than 12 Gypsy students in further or higher education in Britain at any one time
Facts and Figures • Infant mortality rate is 4 times higher than the national average • Travellers have a lower life expectancy than the settled population • Travellers experience poorer health than the settled community • This may partly be due to poor access to healthcare, environmental hardship and social exclusion
Gypsy & Traveller Sites • It is estimated that there are up to 200,000 Gypsies and Travellers in settled accommodation • There are only 320 Local Authority sites providing 5000 pitches. 8 out of 10 sites have waiting lists • There are 650 owner-occupied sites proving 1800 pitches • There are 650 owner-occupied sites proving 1800 pitches • There are 90 private sites providing 1750 pitches • It is estimated 90% of traditional stopping places have been blocked in the last 20 years
Gypsy & Traveller Sites • There are 2 privately owned authorised Traveller sites in Cumbria. There are 3 fairground winter base sites. • Over 3500 Gypsies and Travellers have no legal place to stop (20% of the Traveller community) • There are just over 300 transit pitches on Local Authority sites • There are just over 300 transit pitches on Local Authority sites • There are no Local Authority sites in Cumbria • It is estimated that there will need to be between 1000-2000 permanent pitches and 2000-2500 transit pitches by 2007 just to keep up with the current Gypsy and Traveller population • 90% of Gypsy and Traveller planning applications refused compared to just 20% from the settled community
Some Local Initiatives • Cumbria LEA – Specialist Advisory Teaching Service, Ethnic Minority Achievement • Cumbria LEA - Minority Ethnic and Traveller Achievement Plan 2002-2007 • Cumbria LEA – St. Catherine’s School Outreach Worker (Penrith) • Cumbria LEA – St. Catherine’s School Outreach Worker (Penrith) • Joint Agency Protocol for responding to Gypsy and Traveller Unauthorised camps • Mini Sure Start – Travellers Pre-School Bus
‘The range of wealth and income, the level of legality in behaviour, and the types of human needs and desires of people from the Travelling communities, are believed by most police and local authority officers, to be the same as those of the settled population’ (Rachel Morris, Traveller Law Research Unit) "The single most discriminated against ethnic group is the 'Travelling People'". (European Parliament Committee of Inquiry on Racism and ‘The level of hostility faced Xenophobia 1991) by Gypsy Traveller people is probably greater than for any probably greater than for any other minority ethnic group’ ‘Gypsy Traveller pupils are the group (Ofsted 1999) most at risk in the education system’ (Ofsted 1999) “I think they [Gypsies and Travellers] are a hidden minority. They are a minority who are socially excluded from almost all aspects of mainstream life and for whom the majority of the British public only have contact through hostile media reports and unauthorised encampments and have very little real contact” (Dr Murdoch, Travellers’ Advice Team)
Traveller Achievement ‘Traveller pupils are still the All children and young ‘Gypsy Traveller pupils are group most at risk in the people should be able to most at risk in the Education education system. They are achieve their potential, System’ . the one minority ethnic what ever their ethnic and Raising the Achievement of Minority Ethnic Pupils’ (Ofsted 1999) group which is too often cultural background and ‘out of sight and out of whichever school they mind’. attend. The DfES is committed to Stephen Twigg MP Stephen Twigg MP Provision and Support for Traveller Pupils Provision and Support for Traveller Pupils ensuring ensuring that that there there is is real real Parliamentary Under Secretary of state Ofsted Nov 2003 equality of opportunity and the for Schools July 2003 ‘The degree of hostility ‘There is currently no highest possible standards for towards Gypsies’ and other national reporting of data all pupils in all schools. To Travellers’ children, if they on Gypsy and Traveller ensure that this happens, do enter school, is quite children that would Gypsy Traveller pupils must be remarkable even when set enable national seen as an integral part of all alongside the racism monitoring of their schools and LEAs policies and encountered by children experiences and of their programmes, not just an ‘after from other ethnic minority achievements’. thought’ or ‘add-on’ groups’. Aiming High;Raising the Achievement of Consultation on Guidance for Schools Gypsy Traveller Pupils DfES 2003 on Ethnic Monitoring’ DfES November The Swann Report, Education for All 1975 2000
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