Traveller girls 'left behind'

Seventy three per cent of female teenage Travellers in North Dublin are not in any form of education, and only two per cent of those in education are in the post-Junior Certificate cycle. The main reason for this is a failure by the State to improve the needs of the Traveller population, according to a report called 'Left Behind'.

'Left Behind' is a study into the educational achievement and drop-out rates for Traveller girls in North Dublin. It reveals a large disparity between female and male teenage Travellers in the area in relation to educational attendance, place of education and drop out rates.

The study showed that 27 per cent of female Travellers, aged 13-18, are in education out of a population of 290. Fifty-one percent of males, aged 13-18 – 111 males – are in education, out of a population of 216. Out of the 77 females in education, 70 per cent are in mainstream secondary school, 24 per cent are in Junior Education Centres and six per cent are in Youthreach Centres. Whereas out of the 111 boys in education 39 per cent are in mainstream education; 30.5 per cent in Junior Education Centres; and 30.5 per cent in Youthrerach Centres. The survey also showed that females who are in education are more likely to drop out at an earlier stage than boys. Only two per cent of the 77 teenage females in education were post-Junior Certificate, compared with five per cent of males.

The report said that although schooling for Travellers has improved dramatically since the 1995 Task Force Report on the Travelling Community, many of the same factors which affected Traveller schooling then are still in place now. They cited these as a lack of Traveller parent involvement in children's schooling; a lack of understanding by teachers of the Travelling community; bullying of Travellers in mainstream education; and a lack of learning support and suitable curriculum for them. However, they said the most important factor in low education attendance was "the lack of improvement on a wider, social, environmental and health needs of the Traveller population".

"Socio-economic factors such as sub-standard accommodation have an ongoing effect on the ability of some Traveller families to ensure their female children continue in education," says Noreen O'Donoghue, coordinator of the School Completion Programme.

The report recommended that all the recommendation made in the 1995 Task Force report in relation to education and schooling should be implemented.

Emma Browne