Written Question · S4W-01576 · Session 4
What guidance it provides to local authorities on the education of young Gypsy/Travellers.
The question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it provides to local authorities on the education of young Gypsy/Travellers.
The answer
The Scottish Government provides core funding to the Scottish Traveller Education Programme (STEP) including the eLearning and Traveller Education Scotland (eLATES) programme which provides distance learning with “anytime, anywhere” access via the internet.
Within STEP’s remit was the production of guidance for local authorities, schools and support services Inclusive Education Approaches for Scotland’s Travelling Communities within the context of interrupted learning which was published in March 2011. The guidance was disseminated through the Traveller Education Network (TNET) in which 22 Scottish local authorities are members of and is now available as an online resource at:
http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/publications/i/publication_tcm4651543.asp.
Furthermore, the Scottish Government believes that all children and young people should benefit from an education system that is engaging, relevant, tailored to their needs, and best prepares them for their future lives irrespective of their social, economic or ethnic background. Certainly the education system in Scotland, Curriculum for Excellence, supports this aspiration. The system puts the learner at the centre of the curriculum which will lead to improved quality of learning and teaching and increased achievement and attainment for all children and young people, regardless of where that learning takes place.
The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004, (as amended), provides the legal framework for identifying and addressing the additional support needs of children and young people who face a barrier, or barriers, to learning including Gypsy/Traveller children in Scotland. The Act aims to ensure that all children and young people are provided with the necessary support to help them work towards achieving their full potential. It also promotes collaborative working among all those supporting children and young people and sets out parents’ rights within the system.
HMIe also produced a publication in 2005 which builds on self evaluation guidance given in How good is our school?, entitled Taking a closer look at: Inclusion and Equality – meeting the needs of Gypsies and Travellers. This guide can be used by schools to evaluate the quality of their approaches to inclusion and equality relating to Gypsy/Travellers, and also provide examples of best practice.
Within STEP’s remit was the production of guidance for local authorities, schools and support services Inclusive Education Approaches for Scotland’s Travelling Communities within the context of interrupted learning which was published in March 2011. The guidance was disseminated through the Traveller Education Network (TNET) in which 22 Scottish local authorities are members of and is now available as an online resource at:
http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/publications/i/publication_tcm4651543.asp.
Furthermore, the Scottish Government believes that all children and young people should benefit from an education system that is engaging, relevant, tailored to their needs, and best prepares them for their future lives irrespective of their social, economic or ethnic background. Certainly the education system in Scotland, Curriculum for Excellence, supports this aspiration. The system puts the learner at the centre of the curriculum which will lead to improved quality of learning and teaching and increased achievement and attainment for all children and young people, regardless of where that learning takes place.
The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004, (as amended), provides the legal framework for identifying and addressing the additional support needs of children and young people who face a barrier, or barriers, to learning including Gypsy/Traveller children in Scotland. The Act aims to ensure that all children and young people are provided with the necessary support to help them work towards achieving their full potential. It also promotes collaborative working among all those supporting children and young people and sets out parents’ rights within the system.
HMIe also produced a publication in 2005 which builds on self evaluation guidance given in How good is our school?, entitled Taking a closer look at: Inclusion and Equality – meeting the needs of Gypsies and Travellers. This guide can be used by schools to evaluate the quality of their approaches to inclusion and equality relating to Gypsy/Travellers, and also provide examples of best practice.
In the Official Report
No contribution in the Official Report cites S4W-01576 by reference.