Next Spring, ten Gloucestershire-based Traveller families will each be taking a lap-top computer and datacard with them when they leave their winter bases for their travelling season. With this equipment, their children will be able to access the internet wherever they go in order to keep in contact with their schools and their friends by email, to receive and send school work as email attachments, to use the internet for research projects and to use educational software loaded onto the computer to meet their individual needs. In this way it is hoped that their learning whilst away from school will be enhanced (not least in the area of ICT skills), they will maintain better contact with their teachers and friends and thus will re-integrate more easily into school on their return.
These families will be taking part in the E-Lamp4 project, funded by the DfES and implemented by the National Association of Teachers of Travellers. The Gloucestershire Traveller Education Team (part of the Race Equality and Diversity Service) is one of twelve such teams nationwide to have made a successful bid to be part of the project, and everyone here is feeling very excited about it!
