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STEP News Archive

 

Gypsy Arts Festival, Scotland, June 2008

The Gypsy Arts Festival, owned and produced by The Hungry Arts Ltd, celebrates Gypsy music, food and culture Douglas Hunter, The Festival Director, has organized a Gypsy Arts Festival for Scotland. Events will be held from Monday 25 to Sunday 31 August 2008 at various Scottish venues. The Scottish Storytelling Centre, The Famous Spiegeltent, and The Scottish MELA, Edinburgh, Scotland (See http://www.gypsyartsfestival.co.uk/scotland.html).

This Scottish festival will follow the success of the first two Gypsy Arts Festivals, held in Suffolk in July 2006 and 2007 and funded by: the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Suffolk City Council, the Museum of East Anglian Life, Mid-Suffolk district, Arts Council England and Screen East. 

The festivals held in Suffolk featured Gypsy food, with traditional dishes such as bacon pudding, rabbit stew, and sausage pudding being prepared over an open fire. Other highlights of the festival included arts and crafts workshops, films, painted wagons, dance, music and storytelling. The World Music Concert provided a festive ending to the weekends, featuring different Gypsy bands from around the world. 

For more information on the date and location of the festival, please refer to the website cited above, or email the Festival Director, Douglas Hunter: info@gypsyartsfestival.co.uk.

 

Launching of My Learning Record and Initial Rapid Assessment Guide (IRAG) Perth March 2008

As a result of recent research with teachers, Gypsy/Traveller and travelling show and fairground families, a draft version of the My Learning Record was piloted, evaluated and developed with families alongside school and designated teachers across 4 local authorities: Moray, Angus, South Lanarkshire and Highland.

The Scottish Government funded published draft is written in a child friendly way, however, its sections map onto current educational legislation and policy. As a hand held record brought to the school by the family, the My Learning Record has space to record information about a young person’s learning.

It will provide a teacher with an initial transfer of curricular information that is meaningful to the child. The My Learning Record works alongside the IRAG. This spiral bound document provides a class teacher or teacher working in out-of-school settings with some fun activities to quickly assess a mobile pupil's learning needs.

Together with Keeping in Touch, a STEP leaflet designed to encourage parents to stay in touch with school or out-of-school teachers, these national documents aim to establish good practice in supporting learning and teaching, and in keeping track of mobile learners. In particular, they aim to support those learners living in or passing through education authorities with less well developed ‘education outwith school’ services. 

read more about (and download copies of) these new resources

 

‘IMAGINE—Remember, Reflect, React’: Holocaust Remembrance Scotland.

Holocaust Memorial Day, Monday January 28, 2008 at the Eastwood Park Theatre, East Renfrewshire

Hosted by the East Renfrewshire Council, Scotland’s Holocaust Memorial event focused on this year’s theme of ‘Imagine—Remember, Reflect, React’.  Pupils from East Renfrewshire schools prepared questions in reference to this year’s theme and were present to ask the panel about the Holocaust and its relevance today.

The panel included Ms Nicola Sturgeon MSP, Deputy First Minister & Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing, Ms Annabel Goldie MSP, Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party, Mr Ken Macintosh MSP, Shadow Minister for Schools, Dr Stephen Smith MBE, Chair of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust and Mr John Loughton, Chair of the Scottish Youth Parliament.  Chairing the Question and Answer session was the Rt. Hon George Reid.

read more about the Imagine event

 

Research and Practice: Children, Young People and Families Research Conference at New Lanark, January 18-19, 2008, features Gypsy/Traveller Young People

Organised by the Department of Educational and Professional Studies at the University of Strathclyde and the Glasgow School of Social work, the above conference continued the work of the Children, Young People and Families Research Network initiated last year. A Research Enhancement Grant from Strathclyde University supported the event, which highlighted the important role of research in informing policy and practice. The conference’s Inclusive Education, Inclusive Practices panels included presentations that showed how carrying out research with young people provides insights into everyday experience that contribute to more effective practice.

On the opening day of the conference, a spotlight session featured a presentation called Our Voices: Young Gypsy/Travellers in Scotland. Delivered by Gypsy/Traveller young people, with support from Michelle Lloyd of Save the Children, Edinburgh, the audience enjoyed the presentation and learned a lot about the experience of being a Gypsy/Traveller in Scotland today.  

STEP’s director, Dr. Pauline Padfield delivered a researchbased presentation entitled, Negotiating the complexities of educational access: “If me mam says you’ve got to have a good job like I’ll get a job and I’ll get a good job”. Carried out with Traveller young people and families from the different communities of Travellers that make up Scotland’s travelling people, the presentation demonstrated the issues that shape Travellers’ capacity to access education.

Both presentations provided valuable opportunities for conference-goers to learn about Scotland’s mobile communities. The presentations challenged the prejudices that many Travellers from these hard to reach groups face on a daily basis, and aimed to broaden conference goers’ understandings of Scotland’s diverse Traveller communities.

The overall aim of the conference was to provide space and time for an exchange of knowledge between a wide range of participants; from young people and students to academics and research users. The hope was expressed that this would lead to further collaborations in the future. For Further information please contact the conference organiser:

Dr. Daniela Sime
Lecturer
Educational and Professional Studies
University of Strathclyde
Jordanhill Campus
76 Southbrae Drive
Glasgow, G13 1PP
Phone no: 0141 950 3155
Email: Daniela Sime daniela.sime@strath.ac.uk

 

Different Together: Anti-Racist Curriculum for Glasgow: An Approach for Early Years - February 6th 2008

Glasgow City Council invited STEP to deliver a presentation about Gypsy/Traveller culture and their educational needs at Glasgow's high profile launch of its newly developed anti-racist curriculum pack for Early Years. The audience at Celtic Park Stadium included 150 headteachers. Glasgow's pack contains anti-racist curricular materials for young children, advice and CPD materials for teachers and ideas for working with parents and carers.

STEP's presentation, delivered by Ingrid Todd and Pauline Padfield, aimed to raise awareness of Gypsy/Traveller cultures and lifestyles.

read more about the "Different Together" event

 

New Literature about Gypsies and Travellers for 2008

'More and more people, including Gypsies and Travellers themselves, want to read more accurate and authentic books about or by Gypsies'.  Robert Dawson

Robert Dawson's website www.robertdawson.co.uk offers a selection of literature about and by Gypsies and Travellers as well as a wide range of other materials, e.g. greeting cards and games. Known as 'the specialist Gypsy publisher', Dawson has published many books to meet the growing demand for reliable publications concerning Gypsy/Traveller/Romani history, culture, language and life.

Dawson's new flyer, titled 'Gypsies: A most misunderstood people: Books for Libraries Colleges and Statutory Bodies', lists new and older titles available to order. Included in Dawson's selection are autobiographies, collections of letters and stories, and many books specifically geared towards children and young people (Click here to view PDF).

Please refer to the website link provided above or email Robert Dawson at bob@robertdawson.co.uk for specific details of the books available and information on how to order.

 

Scottish Section of The Showmen's Guild of Great Britain Hosts Successful Centenary Luncheon, October 26, 2007

STEP were delighted to accept a kind invitation to The Showmen's Guild of Great Britain's Scottish Section celebration of its Inaugural luncheon. The luncheon commemorated its centenary on October 26, 2007 at the Thistle Hotel in Glasgow. The event attracted 150 guests, including members from across the section and several MSP's, councillors and other civic dignitaries from all over Scotland. 

Key Speakers were: Philip Paris, Chairman of the Showmen's Guild, Scottish Section, Brian Donohoe, MP Central Ayrshire, Dr. Vanessa Toulmin, University of Sheffield, and Jimmy Williams, President of the Showmen's Guild of Great Britain.

Philip Paris welcomed guests and concentrated his address on the section's current work and the issues and concerns Showpeople face.  For example, Philip highlighted the unfairness of variations in the fees charged by different authorities for the License for Fairs as Regulated Entertainment, which is required north of the border since 1982. 
Philip also spoke of a petition submitted to the Scottish Parliament upon the advice of the Equalities Unit, and a subsequent meeting with Malcolm Chisholm, Minister for Communities. Discussions addressed issues such as licensing, planning permission for yards, discrimination in society, education, and the availability of land for holding fairs. Philip expressed his disappointment at the lack of official response in addressing these issues and invited those present at the luncheon to offer assistance if they could. The chairman also emphasised the need for permanent operating bases where children would be able to attend school regularly and which would provide space to perform the required maintenance of rides.

Representatives from Scottish Education, John McPhee, Sally Brown, Mary Hendry, Dr. Pauline Padfield and Dr. Betty Jordan were delighted to show their support for travelling Showpeople's education and for the work done in promoting their education over many years by ELO's Lucille Pullar and both Christine Stirling one and two!   

Brian Donohoe offered the opening toast, speaking of the importance of the Showmen's Guild and how pleased he was to be representing their interests in Parliament. Brian said, 'Fairs are a part of our heritage both north and south of the border and one concern is that social conditions are quite often not appropriate for operators to work in public areas and the showmen who do so need public support.' He went on to urge the Scottish Parliament to act: 'The issues of the show industry have been debated before in Westminster, but now it's time for the Scottish Parliament to pick up the mantle.'

Vanessa Toulmin's presentation on the history of the Scottish Section provided an ongoing slide display of Scottish funfair scenes throughout the past 100 years. President of the Guild, Jimmy Williams, then spoke about the pleasure he had in opening the Kirkcaldy Links Market earlier in the year and also praised Philip Paris's work for the section, in particular his discussions with the Scottish Parliament. Junior Vice President, Ramon Henderson also addressed the guests and spoke of the diversification of showmen into new businesses and the need to keep ahead in uncertain economic times. Much pleasure was expressed in presenting the Rev. Jack Graham of Parkhead Congregational Church with an Honorary Membership of the Showmen's Guild for his acceptance of Showpeople in the local community. 

After the luncheon, a member of the Licensing Committee offered help in response to the issues raised by the Chairman Paris and MSP Jamie McGriggor offered to help arrange further meetings with the Equalities Unit.

Philip Paris has called the event a 'good success as an inaugural event with enough Section members, guests from other Sections, MSP's, Councillors and other key personalities from both within the business and beyond.'

Information for article taken from: Fitzgerald, Desmond. 'Scottish Section inaugural Luncheon hailed a success' in World's Fair, Nov. 23-29, 2007, pp. 5-6.

 

Radiowaves Network of Traveller Internet Radio Stations for Young People: Become a Reporter! Response needed by January 18th

Radiowaves is currently launching Network of Traveller Internet Radio Stations for young people and would like to hear from communities who want to be involved in this exciting new project. The Network would be part of the Radiowaves website www.radiowaves.co.uk, which will include over 400 stations. This way, Traveller, Roma and Gypsy communities will have their own stations linked with others around the UK, while also reaching a wider audience. 

Radiowaves gives young people a voice, using creative technology to engage its members in learning and skills development. Each reporter has their own page where they can publish audio, text and images and anybody can listen to and download the stories. Listeners can also leave comments and take part in polls. The Network has funding from the DCSF and will participate in the Traveller, Roma and Gypsy History Month in June, 2008.

If you would like to apply to set up a radio station, receive training and a recording kit, please email kate.valentine@radiowaves.co.uk by January 18th with the following information:
1. Details of current computer/Internet access
2. An idea for a radio programme for History month
3. An example of a previous community project where ICT was used.  If you have any questions, please ring Kate Valentine: 07908403545

 

A Norwegian Perspective on educational provision for Gypsies and Travellers: A September visit to Scotland 2007

Anne Lund and Bente Moen from the Faculty of Teacher Education and Interpreting, Sor-Trondelag University College, Norway visited STEP to gain an overview of Scottish local authorities' educational provision for Gypsy and Traveller children and young people.

During a meeting at STEP, the Norwegian teachers described their project: How to make Romani children more included in school and classes and how to make them succeed in the school system

read more about the visit


Domestic abuse and child protection workshop, 5 September 2007

TENETAs part of a rolling programme of CPD organised by STEP for members of the Traveller Education Network (TENET) Janette de Haan, a Development Officer at the Glasgow Women's Support Project, delivered a highly informative training day. This day built on last year's initial Domestic Abuse training day. Supported by research into the incidence and the effects of domestic abuse, on women, on their children and their ability to mother, the training day helped deepen our understanding of the overlap between domestic abuse and child protection, and the links between child abuse and woman abuse.  The training covered issues of safety planning and support strategies for women and children living in abusive situations.

Members of TENET highlighted ways of developing strategies within their particular working settings. For example, it was suggested that multi-agency approaches be supported by sensitive information sharing between site-managers, health and social workers, education support staff and police.

It was suggested that the Scottish Government or the Zero Tolerance Trust for example should develop stickers designed to raise boys' and men's awareness of the levels of violence against women, its impact on their own lives as well as those of the women and children involved. Building on the practice of posting awareness raising materials about a range of protection issues in women's public conveniences, it was suggested that information for men and boy's be put up in men's public toilets across the country.

Feedback on the day was 100% positive about its coverage and the sensitivity of its delivery. Unusually, emails were received after the day's event: “This was a new area for me and I found it very informative.”  Certainly, the information brought home the range of complexities involved for all concerned; this subject is not one that professionals can safely ignore. Other feedback from one local authority has shown that the issues have been taken forward.  A meeting between education, site managers and community police has been set up to discuss the issues raised with a view to drawing up some guidance for good practice and to identify other agencies it may be appropriate to involve.

The workshop was timely; the Summer 2007 edition of the Travellers' Times (http://www.travellerstimes.org.uk/) contained an article about domestic abuse among Travellers, followed by a letter of support in Winter 2007 edition, which shows that Travellers themselves want to address these issues among their own communities.

Contact details, a wide range of information, suggestions for further reading and a postal book loan system are accessible through the Women's Support Project by clicking on the following link www.womenssupportproject.co.uk.

 

STEP at the Scottish Learning Festival 2007 - On the move with Scotland's Travelling communities: Supporting learning and teaching; connecting learners and teachers

24 and 25 of September 2007

STEP was delighted to receive an invitation to deliver a seminar at this year's Scottish Learning Festival (SLF). Formerly called SETT, the SLF event took place at the SECC and Clyde Auditorium in Glasgow.

read more about the seminar

 

The Riding: Ceremony of Commencement of the Scottish Parliament - Saturday 30 June 2007

STEP was delighted to accept the Scottish Parliament's invitation to participate in the official events planned to mark the commencement of the Third Session of the Scottish Parliament.

read more about the ceremony and see photos

 

Scotland's Travelling Communities: Identities, Cultures, Continuities and Changes – April 2007 Events at STEP

At the end of April 2007, STEP hosted a highly successful 3-day set of events (so the evaluation suggested) to celebrate and raise awareness of Scotland's diverse Travelling communities. The events aimed to celebrate Betty Jordan's significant achievements in helping to bring Travelling peoples' educational needs firmly into public debates.

read more in STEP's April 2007 events report

News on Roma from Europe

The process of widening the European Union has increased mobility between member states. Since 2004, Scotland has welcomed migrant workers from Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. From the 1 January 2007, Bulgaria and Romania will be the latest countries to accede to the EU. Other families from these countries seeking asylum in the UK, have been placed in Scotland. This process has led to changes in the composition of ethnic minority communities in Scotland.

Some families from these European countries are Roma and are predominantly located in Glasgow.  As with Scottish Gypsies/Travellers, the Roma families coming from different European countries cannot be seen and treated as a homogeneous group. They do not have shared histories and cultural identities. However, colleagues from Glasgow have identified good practice applicable to all. By using a whole family approach, sensitive to difference between family, staff have ensured a warm welcome to Scottish schools and a positive experience from the outset. A whole family approach has helped both families and teachers cope with providing the children with an enjoyable experience of school education.

Importantly, unlike Scottish Gypsies/Travellers, European Roma have minority ethnic status and are therefore protected under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act (2000). In education, for example, attainment is measured by ethnic group and national identity. As differences in legal status have implications for accessing support, it is important that data categories used for gathering national statistics are capable of reflecting a pupil's Roma ethnicity and national identity, neither of which is currently possible. Without such changes the educational needs of Eastern European Roma pupils cannot be differentiated from non-Roma pupils from the same country, or from Scottish pupils from Gypsy/Traveller families. As an unintended consequence, future interventions and specific support may not occur.

 

Report: Impact of national guidance: inclusive educational approaches for Gypsies and Travellers: within the context of interrupted learning schools and practice

The Scottish Traveller Education Programme carried out research, funded by the Scottish Executive through its Project 7 Equalities Budget, with schools and Gypsy and Traveller families.

The research explored the impact and effectiveness of the Guidance on local authorities' and schools' development of inclusive educational approaches for Gypsy and Traveller pupils, and support for Gypsy and Traveller families.

Based on this evidence, STEP also drew up a set of recommendations to inform further developments in educational services in schools and out of school settings for school-aged Gypsies and Travellers in Scotland and identified a set of broader issues emerging from its data analysis, some of which have been and continue to be acted upon, while some remain outstanding.

download the Imact of national guidance report in PDF format (950kb)

 

Ministerial Launch - Education for Gypsy/Traveller Children in Scotland: a Guide for Parents

The Scottish Traveller Education Programme (STEP) launched its DVD, 'Education for Gypsy/Traveller Children', and three accompanying leaflets, 'Education in Scotland'; 'Being Safe in School in Scotland' and 'Additional Support for Learning in Scotland', on Friday 17th March 2006 at the New Lanark Heritage Centre. 

read more about the launch

Additional Support for Learning Act

The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 has a distinct aim which is 'much wider and more encompassing' than the previous special needs legislation (Scottish Executive 2004).

The new Act came into force in November 2005. It applies to children and young people who, for whatever reason, require additional support, long or short term, in order to help them make the most of their school education.

A Summary Handout of the Additional Support for Learning Act is available from http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/education/shasla-00.asp , or contact Michael Courtney at SEED on 0131 244 4914; ASLAct@scotland.gsi.gov.uk.

Supporting children's learning: code of practice

The Code of Practice is now available on the Scottish Executive website.   http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/08/15105817/58187

Making partnership work: Effective practice to support children's learning

The Scottish Traveller Education Programme and South Lanarkshire Council led an interactive workshop in Developing partnership approaches to meeting the additional needs of children from Gypsy and Traveller and black and minority ethnic backgrounds at the recent Enquire Annual Conference.

The workshop was one of a number of interactive sessions which explored issues, solutions and best practice in partnership working in relation to The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004. One of the key themes of the conference explored partnership working from the perspectives of young people, parents and professionals. This opportunity, for highlighting how to meet the additional needs of children from Gypsy and Traveller and black and minority ethnic backgrounds, must be capitalized on. To help you think about this STEP's recently launched Education leaflet, 'Additional Support for Learning in Scotland: Information for Gypsies/Travellers' is available for you to download.  Its purpose is to help Gypsy/Traveller families' understand about The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004, and how its broader concept of 'additional needs' can help achieve support for their children's learning needs.

 

Paper to download - "Challenges due to European enlargement: The Eastern European Roma/ Asylum Seekers and Refugee"

Paper by Florina Zoltan for the European Social Forum. Download the paper as a PDF.

 

Report: 'Traveller Education, changing times, changing technologies'

A report, 'Traveller Education, changing times, changing technologies' by Ken Marks has recently been published. The report describes the E-Learning and Mobility Project (E-LAMP), a pilot that has used laptop and wireless cards to support the paper based distance learning of a small number of Showground and Circus children and one or two Gypsy and Irish Traveller children. See the Trentham Books web site for more information.

 

Research Report: Issues in school enrolment, attendance, attainment and support for learning for Gypsy/Travellers and school-aged children and young people based in Scottish local authority sites

Pauline Padfield & Betty Jordan

This research, funded by the Scottish Executive, carried out by STEP and reported in March 2004 , involved making contact with, Gypsy/Traveller parents and pupils, Scottish local authority chief executives, the majority of Scottish education and housing departments, the site managers of Scotland's 37 local authority sites, designated Traveller teachers, and schools (pre-school, primary and secondary) reported to be used by Gypsy/Travellers.

The report is available to download in PDF format. You will need Acrobat Reader to open this document - you can download it at no cost from the Adobe web site.

Download the report (PDF format - 977kb)
Download Table 2 (PDF format - 56kb)

 
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