Traveller Child in Education Action Framework - Early Years

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1. IntroductionEarly Years 1 is the largest organisation in Northern Ireland working with andfor all young children. It is a non-profit making organisation and has beenoperating since 1965 to promote and develop high quality, evidence-informededucation and care services for children aged 0 – 12, their families, those whocare for and educate them and communities.Our vision is that children are strong, competent and visible in theircommunities; physically and emotionally healthy; eager and able to learn andrespectful of difference.We work within a strong set of values which place listening to children andthose who care for them; a strong voice for children; parents as firsteducators; participation of children and families; community involvement anddevelopment; partnership; inclusion and diversity and excellence andevidence-based innovation at the forefront of what we do. We believe thesevalues not only create a framework for us to provide services consistent withour positive vision of and for children but also relate very clearly to thefundamental values which must underpin this framework and the subsequentregional action plan.Early Years delivers the Toybox 2 Project which aims to significantly reducesocial and education inequalities experienced by young Traveller childrenaged 0-4 through an outreach play-based early intervention service providedin partnership with the children, their families and key agencies and ensurethe children and families have access to high quality, inclusive early educationand family support. Another vital component of this essential rights-basedservice development model is the maximisation of the voices of Travellerchildren and their families. The project is delivered by nine staff to eight areasacross Northern Ireland. This includes a peer support worker whosebackground and experience is very beneficial to the project. During 2011-12the team engaged directly with 197 families and 266 children, and delivered3968 play sessions. Within this context we have carried out a number ofinitiatives designed to raise awareness, facilitate debate and encourage andsupport engagement on these important proposals with and for a range ofrelevant stakeholders.Initiatives have included Toybox team members availing of opportunities from home visits orexisting group meetings to highlight and discuss the main Frameworkproposals, encourage participation and seek views from 103 parents orfamily members on whether the proposals would make a difference toeducation and learning outcomes. Early Years Toybox team members providing their own practical views. Visits to two school sites (St Mary's Primary School and Mount StCatherine's Primary School) to discuss the consultation and gain afurther level of feedback and experience.1 For more see http://www.early-years.org/2 http://www.early-years.org/toybox/2
Dissemination of relevant information in relation to the currentproposals under consideration, incorporating Departmental and EarlyYears points of contact for further information, via our external website,internal staff intranet and staff and member e-briefings encouragingparticipation in the consultation process.2. Overview of key issuesMore detailed responses, incorporating the significant feedback from parentsand families concerned, is provided in the subsequent sections andassociated appendices of this response. However the following key recurringthemes are deemed to be of paramount importance in relation to the ultimatesuccess of these proposals. The principles established by the Taskforce on Traveller education mustclearly underpin the Department's Framework and the subsequentregional action plan from April 2013 onwards. Despite acknowledgement of the Framework being high level, thedocument lacks a necessary degree of detail, particularly on key termssuch as "review", which did cause confusion to consultees. It would behoped that such areas would be enhanced and clarified upon before thefinal document is released and definitely by the Action Delivery Plan stageto be developed by the TESS from April 2013. It will be essential that the voices of relevant children and families are fullymaximised, engaged and incorporated and their participation is realisednot only in this development process but also throughout the subsequentplanning and implementation of these proposals relating to educationalachievement, career and life ambitions, support for transitions, training,appropriate communication, parental involvement and effective inclusion. The Framework and subsequent regional action plan must also expresslyacknowledge the vital role of collaboration with community teams andgroups in addition to Traveller Support Groups and Schoolestablishments. Processes around information or training on Traveller culture,employment, family patterns and lifestyles must be more than theprovision of fact-sheets and online materials, be fully participatory andinvolve Travellers themselves. The importance of the provision of consistency in the journey through careand educational establishments of relevant children and of buildingrelationships with the children, their parents and families is of the upmostimportance and cannot be emphasised enough. It will be vital that the development process around these proposals lookto and learn from the many good, evidence based and robustly evaluatedinitiatives, such as the Media Initiative for Children (MIFC) RespectingDifference programme and the Toybox Project, which are alreadyoperating and delivering well in areas rather than looking to establish newinitiatives, programmes or activities.3
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