The Traveller Movement and ACERT took the lead in highlighting the particular impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, school closures and lockdown on the education of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children.
The letter highlighted the potential impact of disrupted education on an already low achieving group, subject to low teacher expectations and digital exclusion.
It mentioned the impracticality of social isolation for many families as well as the caring roles taken by some children. It also expressed concern that the education of some students may not restart after the disruption.
It is crucial that the government ensure that the educational gaps Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children already face are not widened further by the response to the pandemic.
Did you know April was National Autism Awareness Month? To mark the occasion Travellers’ Times wanted to share with you a TUMLUT podcast by producer Regina Fisch in conversation with Romani activist, advocate and mother of three Nikki Hughes.
This is a must-listen for anyone wanting to find out more about autism. In this podcast Nikki openly shares her experiences on the pathway to her adult diagnosis and discusses her day to day experiences as an autistic person and all the things she wishes people would know about autism – they cover everything from race, ethnicity, culture, ableism, and the importance of community. Depending on your personal preference you can listen to the podcast on any of these major podcast platforms, Spotify Apple Podcasts Breaker Google Podcasts Overcast and Radio Public.
Traveller Movement RomBelong (Kings College London) ‘Tutors for GRT’ has set up an initiative that seeks to provide free tutors for families who might be struggling to home school their children during Covid-19 school closures. They have DBS checked tutors who have offered to provide free tutoring. They are currently open for referrals, so if you know any families who would benefit from this program you can simply ask them to either call/text this mobile number 07527486856 They can also be reached on The Traveller Movement’s Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
At this time our thoughts are with all our members and friends who are struggling with health issues, caring responsibilities, isolation, work insecurity and financial hardship. We are grateful to all those who are trying to keep services going and minimise the impact of the virus on our lives.
ACERT EC has had no alternative but to postpone the Networking Conference scheduled to take place in Manchester on the 26th June. The Friends Meeting House has had to close and even if it reopens before the scheduled date, we won’t have time to organise the event.
We hope that our annual conference and AGM will go ahead in October in London and we plan to hold the networking conference in Spring 2021 in Manchester.
The EC has been holding meetings over ZOOM since before it became fashionable, so we are geared up to continue our discussions. Last month, we consulted with other organisations and individuals about our plans to develop a parents network, and we will continue to develop those ideas so we are ready to hit the ground running when the restrictions are lifted.
A peer-led research project by the Traveller Movement, with the support of ACERT and Southwark Traveller Action Group. found that many Gypsy and Traveller pupils experience high levels of racist bullying in school which in turn is hampering their educational attainment, leading many to leave school early without any formal qualifications.
The research was sponsored by the Mayor of London’s Citizen Led Engagement programme. Over a six month period, eleven peer researchers conducted forty-four qualitative interviews with young Travellers in London aged 15-25. The young people discussed school experiences, being bullied, their reasons for leaving school early, family support and what changes were needed to make school life better for Gypsy and Traveller young people.
Front-line voluntary organisations have pulled together a wide range of great resources and links to support Gypsy, Roma and Traveller families during the COVID-19 lockdown.
