Scottish Traveller Education Programme

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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.

Glasgow is currently required to meet the learning needs of children from 96 different nationalities. Its focus on the early years demonstrates Glasgow's commitment to embedding race equality into the education of children and their parents from the outset. Glasgow's proactive approach goes some way towards meeting its obligation to eradicate unlawful discrimination, provide equality of opportunity and promote good relations between all children in its care regardless of their cultural background.

STEP's presentation, delivered by Ingrid Todd and Pauline Padfield, aimed to raise awareness of Gypsy/Traveller cultures and lifestyles. Gypsy/Traveller children continue to be identified as the most 'at risk group' within education. Despite their facing "incomparably worse" racism than any other ethnic minority group in the Scotland and the rest of the UK, these communities are often overlooked in educational dialogues about inclusion and equality.

The presentation explored Gypsy/Traveller parents' attitudes towards pre-school education and the attitudinal and structural barriers that families experience in accessing effective provision. It highlighted the impact of racism on families' daily lives and their experiences within the education system. It explored how through outreach working and meaningful dialogue between families and educators, flexible and creative approaches could be agreed and thus help overcome the difficulties that families face. Through sensitive approaches by experienced staff mutually respectful partnerships can be achieved with Gypsy/Traveller parents that form the basis of their child's successful relationship with educational providers.

Keynote speaker, Jane Lane, Advocate Worker for Racial Equality in the Early Years, stressed the importance of acknowledging that children in early years settings do notice difference and can exhibit racist behaviours. She highlighted the important role of Early Years Educators in addressing prejudice and discrimination.

Her example of Joshua, a mixed race boy of 22 months, highlighted the fact that very young children are already aware of racial differences. On moving into his own bed, Joshua had chosen a black teddy bear and a white teddy bear to symbolize his parents, and a brown bear to symbol himself. (See Young Children and Racial Justice at www.trentham-books.co.uk).

By counter-acting negative stereotyping and working with children and their families to create safe, welcoming learning environments and communities, every child and their parents can feel confident and positive about their own identity, and learn to treat others with respect.

Superintendent David Stewart revealed that the changing demography of Glasgow was raising challenges to policing, and that the recent attack at Glasgow Airport had radicalized anti-Islamic feeling. He explained how the police responded to racist crimes, but also highlighted how the police were involved in a number of creative projects aimed at improving relationships between community groups.

A final mention should go to students of Bellahouston Academy, whose delivery of "Love thy Neighbour" demonstrated that drama and humour could be provide a successful route into exploring difficult issues around racial prejudices. Should you wish to learn more about the presentation, please contact STEP. Should you wish to learn more about the pack please contact Glasgow City Council Education Services, Wheatley House, 25 Cochrane Street, Merchant City, Glasgow G1 1HL.