Ms Brigid Quilligan:

Not always. Historically, Traveller children have attended schools in which expectations of them were very low. Even in my time, children would have been segregated and put into resource classes in which little or no school work was done. Children often spent time combing the teacher's hair and sweeping the classroom floor. Naturally then when these children go on to second level they are not at the same level as their settled peers and they slowly drip away from school. We are lucky if in 2013, Traveller children remain in school up to third year.