Theme: Gypy, Roma, Traveller
Editorial
This edition of the newsletter takes Gypsies, Roma and Travellers (GRT) as its theme. This is timely, following on from the celebration of the first UK Gypsy Roma Traveller History Month in June 2008, and the introduction in September of the National Strategy GRT Project to Gloucestershire. You can read about both of these in the pages that follow.
The term 'Traveller' is a collective term used to describe a wide variety of cultural and ethnic groups. These include Gypsies, Irish Travellers, Fairground (Showmen), Circus, New Travellers, and European Roma. Families from all of these backgrounds are part of the social fabric that is Gloucestershire.
The term Roma' is generally acceptable in collectively describing all European Gypsies. Roma are the largest Minority Ethnic group in the EU: an estimated population of 15 million people who historically have been disenfranchised and discriminated against.
Gypsies, Roma and Travellers (GRT) do not form a homogeneous group and their individual differences are as extensive as those within the settled community. Some families may have an ambivalent attitude towards school; some may not. Each group has diverse needs and different barriers to learning and presents different challenges. However there are issues common to these groups (for example discrimination & mobility). These issues need to be recognised so that the school environment can be welcoming to Travellers and learning can be personalised to meet the needs of individual children & young people.
This newsletter is about celebrating differences and commonalities, and seeing beyond the stereotypes that inevitably many of us, including myself, conform to from time to time.
In addition to articles on Travellers you will find updates on the progress of Black Caribbean youngsters and pupils with English as an Additional Language - we have had over 1000 new arrivals to Gloucestershire schools in the past three years.
And as always you will find more background detail on our website: www.irespect.net
Giles Diggle
READS Manager
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