Phase out of Education Capitation Grants for Travellers

national | anti-capitalism | news report Tuesday November 28, 2006 11:41 by Evie

Jig-Saw Politics from FF/PD Admin.

Mary Hanafin, has published 'The Report and Recommendations for a Traveller
Education Strategy'- which envisages cutting out education capitation grants
in order to mainstream traveller kids.
'Mainstreaming' is a term familiar to a lot of Irish Parents who have children with
educational special needs, and it doesn't work in terms of choice or individual need.
A committee has already been appointed to oversee implementation of the report.

Shiny Shoes.

In 2004, the Travellers Groups welcomed and participated in forming the report on
integratation and inclusion in the educational system: S.T.E.P

1. "It will outline a process to shift from segregated provision to a policy of inclusion,
interculturism and integration"

2. 49 recommendations were made in 2004 towards an approach to education for this
community. (Pavee Point:-http://www.paveepoint.ie/EducationStrategy.html)

"Education needs to be about liberating Travellers, not domesticating them. True education
will give Travellers the tools to challenge their oppression rather than teaching them to
become acceptable in a settled world". (Pavee Point)

Unfortunately I could not source a Pavee Point Reaction to Ms Hanafin's Publication of
the 21/11/06.

The traveller groups had wanted the eduacation strategy to be inclusive and to ensure equality
of access to education for travellers in 2004. in 2006, Mary Hanafin's report suggests:

"The System of allocating teaching resources and capitation on the grounds of *cultural
identity*, rather than need be reviewed.'

This Present Government has not recognised the cultural identity of Irish travellers as
an ethnic group since the Housing Bill (Miscellaneous Proviosions) 2002- otherwise
known as the 'Trespass Law'.

In Cashel, meanwhile- The Town Council has been buying up small cottages
(two bedroom) for the travelling community, instead of providing halting sites
and recognising that 'Travellers'- indeed 'Travel'

-A co-ordinating Committee has been set up to implement recommendations, it is wholly
comprised of senior officials in the Dept of Education-

The Question here is -

Why has a committee comprised of senior officials in the Dept of education begun
implementing a report on educational mainstreaming of travellers when the Government has
not recognised or respected their cultural ethnicity?

Why is the report being implemented when sections of it to do with ethnic/cultural differences
are not resolved?