[Voiceover]: For over 20 years, the Traveller Movement has advocated for the human rights of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities, to make the UK a more equal and inclusive place for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people.
Now we’re launching a new project to address the inequality Gypsy, Roma and Traveller, children and families face in education.
A big part of this project will be our new education information & support website, which will provide Gypsy, Roma and Traveller families and young people with the guidance and support necessary to navigate education, as well as highlighting legal rights, and what entitlements are available.
We want Gypsy, Roma and Traveller families to feel confident and able to challenge schools and education providers on the issues that affect their access to good education. This website will offer both general information on how the education system works as well as offering support and links to other trusted organisations who can help.
Kate Green MP: I really welcome this new education microsite, so good to have a resource that can offer information and support to GTR people, particularly, I guess, GTR parents, who are wanting to speak up for their children, but may not feel confident, or feel that they know whether they should or know-how. This site will be a great source of information for them, but also, I hope, reassurance and encouragement that they're absolutely right to speak up for their children when they have concerns.
The website is really easy to use and can be accessed on any smartphone, tablet, or computer.
Voiceover]: Visit education.travellermovement.org.uk to find easy-to-understand information about applying to schools, special educational needs, bullying, attendance and lots more.
This project is about giving Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller families the confidence to speak out if something is going wrong with the education their children are receiving. But it’s also a great resource for teachers and anyone interested in improving the educational experience of Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller children.
Pauline Anderson: As an education expert myself (and I've been a teacher, a head teacher, I'm a director of education) I actually really enjoy reading the material that's in there. It just sets out for you. The whole education landscape...and actually, it's about forming that positive partnership with parents in education that every good head teacher should be doing…I think it will be there for you, as a rock, if you're having a problem.
Kate Green MP: Please go and have a look at the site. Please make use of the resources. Please let the Traveller movement know what you think of the resources and what more might be useful to you to help support GTR families that you come into contact with. The more people that are using the site, the more the site can be developed and enriched, the more we can see it benefit more and more families and young people. I think it's a great resource and I hope that lots and lots of organisations will join me in really welcoming it and making good use of it in the months and years to come.”