More than an acronym

Supporting Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Traveller children in education

In collaboration with The Traveller Movement, the NEU has produced three toolkits to support educators to develop safe, inclusive and welcoming environments for Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Traveller children from the Early Years to Key Stage 4.

It is crucial to promote fairness, equality and inclusion, and to celebrate diversity in education. This is not only so that every child and young person is included and feels a sense of belonging, but also so that they learn to value difference in their peers and wider society.

Developing safe, inclusive and welcoming environments for Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller children and young people is key to their social and emotional development, as well as to their peers’ understanding of these marginalised ethnic groups.

Public bodies such as schools are required under the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) to have due regard to how their policies or decisions affect people who share protected characteristics. This includes aspects of a person’s identity that are protected under the Equality Act 2010, including race and ethnicity. Under the Equality Act, race or ethnicity can refer to a person’s racialised identity or nationality (including citizenship). It can also refer to ethnic or national origins, which may not be the same as current nationality. Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller communities are recognised as ethnic groups for the purposes of race discrimination law.

What’s the Public Sector Equality Duty?

The attitudes of children and young people towards diversity are directly linked to the behaviour and attitudes displayed by the adults around them, as well as by their peers and wider society. Thus, having staff who are well-resourced to support and model inclusion is imperative.

This resource outlines four key things education settings can do to support the inclusion of Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller children and young people. While the core principles are shared across all age groups, the experiences, pressures and opportunities children encounter will differ by phase. 

The Traveller Movement has created a typical pathway based on data and reported school experiences for many Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller children, called The Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Red Thread in Education. The thread consists of the following concurrent experiences, which will be explored in more detail throughout this resource: 

  1. Bullying
  2. Low Attendance
  3. Distressed Behaviour
  4. Social Isolation
  5. School Exclusion
  6. Low Attainment
  7. Criminal Justice Involvement 

Distressed behaviour 

Distressed behaviour can take many forms including:

  • anger
  • lashing out physically or verbally
  • self-harm
  • injury

For children in the early years, this may appear as increased irritability, regressing to behaviours displayed by younger children, and clinging to caregivers/adults more than usual. 

It is important to understand why a child may be exhibiting distressed behaviour. Distressed behaviour can be closely tied to bullying and/or problems at home.

If you notice a child displaying distressed behaviour, ask them how they are feeling in a direct or indirect way. One check-in method is to ask the child to draw or paint a picture. Ask questions about the picture, what they have drawn and/or why they have used certain colours. This may help the child to express how they feel.

School exclusion 

Suspension and permanent exclusion rates for Romani (Gypsy), Roma, and Irish Traveller pupils are higher than for many other ethnic groups, and concerns have also been raised about off-rolling and coerced exclusions affecting these communities disproportionately. Schools should ensure that any suspension or exclusion is lawful, reasonable, procedurally fair, and carried out in accordance with statutory guidance. Informal exclusions, pressured moves, or removals from the school roll that do not follow the proper legal process may be unlawful.

If there are concerns about a child’s behaviour or attendance:

  • The first step is to speak with the parent/family in a way that is supportive to the family.
  • Consider cultural and language barriers when reaching out to parents.
  • Consider alternative solutions such as restorative practices and adopting a trauma informed response to avoid the detrimental impact of school exclusions on a child’s life and outcomes, especially at such a young age. 

NEU trauma informed practice and approach

Preventing and Reducing Exclusions 

Traveller Movement’s reporting on coerced exclusions 

Explore the sections below for guidance tailored to Early Years, Key Stages 1–2 and Key Stages 3–4.

Understand the differences and commonalities

Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Travellers have often been amalgamated under the umbrella term ‘GRT’. This has led to confusion and misunderstanding that the three ethnic groups are the same. This is not true. In order to avoid confusion, the Traveller Movement encourages professionals to avoid use of this acronym.

Understanding the differences between the different Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller communities is important. If you know the differences, you can better support children from the different communities to feel welcomed and valued.

Romani (Gypsy)

Romani (Gypsies) are thought to have arrived in Britain around 1500. The term “Gypsy” comes from the word “Egyptian” which is where the settled population mistakenly perceived them to be from. However, linguistic analysis shows that Romani Gypsies, like the European Roma, originated in Northwest India.

Roma

The Roma are also thought to have originated in Northwest India. They have faced centuries of discrimination, persecution and forced assimilation across Europe. The word “Roma” is an umbrella term referring to lots of different communities. In 1930s Nazi Germany, Roma were deemed to be “racially inferior”, and hundreds of thousands were murdered during World War II. 

The word “Roma” derives from the word “Rom,” meaning “man” and refers to lots of different communities, including the Kalderash in south-eastern Europe; the Kalé in Wales, Finland, Spain and Portugal – and many more.

After the war, Roma continued to be discriminated against and oppressed, especially in the Soviet Union. From the 1930s onwards, Roma communities from different European countries started moving to the UK in hope of a better life. 

It is important to note that for many European Roma communities, the word “Gypsy” is considered insulting and is rejected by Roma organisations. 

Irish Travellers

Irish Travellers are a nomadic group of people from Ireland but have a separate identity, heritage and culture to the Irish community in general. An Irish Traveller presence can be traced back to 12th Century Ireland, with migrations to Great Britain in the early 19th century.

Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller people are protected against discrimination under the Equality Act 2010 in England, Wales and Scotland and under the Race Relations (NI) Order 1997 in Northern Ireland.

Despite Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller communities having lived and worked in the UK for centuries, it was not until the 2011 UK Census that the ethnic group question included a tick box for the ethnic groups ‘Gypsy or Irish Traveller’ for the first time. The 2021 Census had a ‘Gypsy or Irish Traveller’ category, and a new ‘Roma’ category.

Whilst Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller communities are different ethnic groups, they share several commonalities such as:

  • The importance of family and/or community networks
  • A historically nomadic way of life
  • A tendency toward self-employment
  • Experience of disadvantage and prejudice
  • The worst educational outcomes of all ethnic groups, and across all social indicators. 

Here are some further resources that showcase the differences and commonalities between Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller communities: 

Work with agencies directly supporting and advocating for Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Travellers

The practice of anti-racism towards all groups, including Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Travellers is an ongoing process of learning for everyone. There are several organisations in the UK that work directly with, and for, the Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller communities including The Traveller Movement. Many of these organisations have useful resources designed to support teachers or Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller families to overcome barriers to education. Here are some resources that you may find useful:

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