Session Information
07 SES 13 B, Gypsy, Roma, Traveller Education
Symposium
Contribution
Latest research has recently produced evidence about extreme discrimination in the UK legislation which is related to urban growth and planning of many cities mainly in England. New changes to Planning Policy for Traveller sites came into force in August 2015; the Government published the Housing and Planning Bill which contains measures that will remove the obligation on local authorities to assess the accommodation needs of Gypsies and Travellers for the purposes of planning for Traveller sites. This will also abolish the only piece of legislation that recognises Gypsies’ and Travellers’ cultural tradition of nomadism. According to the policy, if a Gypsy or Traveller stops travelling permanently, even for the reasons of education, health or old age, they will cease to be a Gypsy or Traveller and consequently will no longer be eligible to apply for planning permission for a Traveller site. However some organisations still resist to these harmful official moves. The author will present quantitative data from recent research in education and especially student pupil attainment and retention figures in education in England. Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Communities have made a great effort to lobby policy makers in the House of Lords, but, there is still lack of integration of inclusive educational systems inside inclusive masterplans of cities. The author will refer to some specific case studies, such as the Leeds Gypsyand Traveller Exchange (GATE) initiatives to overcome the lack ofquantitative data about these communities. She will also refer to the Gypsy Roma Traveller Achievement Service (GRTAS) in Leeds; they have worked ona good practice guide for improving outcomes for Gypsy Roma Traveller (GRT) pupils. The GRT pupils are one of the lowest achieving groups of children in our schools,both in Leeds and Nationally.The aim for all schools is to raise the attainment of all their pupils including their GRT pupilsand to promote their cultural identity throughout school. This guidance comes alongside a solution of temporary authorised and negotiated encampments in Leeds, in which Gypsy,Roma and Traveller communities could carry on with their cultural lifestyles and alsoconcede their children’scontinuity in education.
References
‘A history of Leeds GATE’ at http://www.leedsgate.co.uk/ accessed on 03/01/2016. Equality and Human Rights Commission ‘Is Britain Fairer? The state of equality and human rights 2015’ http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/about-us/our-work/key-projects/britain-fairer-0 accessed on 27/12/2015 ‘Government changes to Planning Policy for Traveller sites’ in the Traveller Movement journal at: http://www.travellermovement.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/New-Government-changes-to-Planning-Policy-for-Traveller-sites-September-20151.pdf accessed on 30/12/2015. ‘Housing and Planning Bill 2015-16’ at: http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2015-16/housingandplanning.html accessed on 02/01/2016. ‘Negotiated Stopping wins accolade!’ at http://www.leedsgate.co.uk/ accessed on 03/01/2016. Tracada, E., Spencer,S. &Neary, S. (2014) Words which Exclude-Adjustments to Communication Devices within Law and Planning Frameworks dealing with Gypsy and traveller Accommodation in the UK, iCeGS - International Centre for Guidance Studies, University of Derby - ISBN 9780901437860. Tracada, E., Spencer, S. &Neary, S. (2014) WORKSTREAM 1 - UNITED KINGDOM NATIONAL REPORT in WE: WOR(L)DS WHICH EXCLUDE project JUST/2011/FRAC/AG/2716. Also available at: http://weproject.unice.fr/publication/national-report-united-kingdomaccessed on 03/01/2016. Tracada, E., Neary, S. & Spencer, S. (2014) ‘The Gypsy and Traveller Communities’ housing dispute against the Localism TeTracada, E., Spencer, S. &Neary, S. net’in Wor(l)ds which Exclude.... ISBN 9788899210007.
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