Education and does it have to be in school?

GUEST BLOG BY DAVID BOWEN, NOW RETIRED, WHO USED TO LEAD OUR COUNTY'S TRAVELLER EDUCATION SERVICE

I am very honoured to have David Bowen's permission to share his further explanation (below) about why new rules are so disadvantaging Traveller families.

There are two pressing problems facing Travellers: land and education.  Steps are being taken, via the Diocese and Local Authorities, to address the former.  The latter is also acute.

Since April, when the Government introduced new rules about registering attendance at school, Travellers have been inconvenienced, possibly quite seriously.  Under the old rules, a family that Travelled for work, so including show families as well as others, could get permission for their children's absence from school during the travelling time.  Schools were expected to (and sometimes did)  provide suitable work for the children during their absences.  Now, under the new rules, all absence counts towards the school's success in OfSTED inspections.  If attendance falls below 95% the school will not achieve success under the inspection regime, no matter the cause of the absence. To make matters worse, headteachers may no longer approve absence for Travellers (or anyone).  Thus schools will be very tempted to take children off the school roll for the period when they are travelling.  This means that children may get lost, that parents become totally responsible for the education of their children without the help of the school, and that there may not be a place available when the family returns to its base.  All this is bad.

Show families are particularly worried about these

new arrangements.  However, they have serious implications for all Traveller families.  Nothing seems to be being done about it.  

Marx (Karl not Groucho) said that before attempting to change things it was essential to raise awareness.  That seems to me absolutely right.  I we are going to get a better deal for Traveller children in the education world, it is first necessary to get those who hold the purse strings and who make the policy to realise that there is a serious problem.  

There are a whole range of possible answers (and probably far more than we have thought of) from establishing a "virtual free school" to providing books and a syllabus to parents.  Some might be very radical, but all should be considered.  

David

Postscript:

Let's dream a dream.  Let's imagine children and parents being consulted on how they wanted education to be provided. Let's imagine governments of all complexions giving utmost priority to pupils at risk of not achieving their full potential. Let's imagine every child being launched into adulthood with all the skills they need to achieve their dreams.  Are you really going to tell me this isn't possible in the twenty-first century? Isn't it more likely that there are vested interests that don't want it to happen? Jenny