Written answers

Tuesday, 16 May 2023

Department of Education and Skills

State Examinations

Photo of Peadar TóibínPeadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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312. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps she will take to increase the number of Travellers who sit the Leaving Certificate exam each year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23211/23]

Photo of Norma FoleyNorma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I am committed to ensuring that actions to improve educational outcomes for Travellers are advanced in line with relevant Programme for Government commitments, including the commitment to develop a National Traveller Education Strategy.

Officials from my Department, together with officials from the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, engage on an ongoing basis with Traveller representative organisations, and this engagement will continue in the context of development of the Traveller Education Strategy.

Other initiatives include:

  • A pilot project Supporting Traveller and Roma (STAR) which is underway in four areas (Galway, Wexford, Dublin and Cork), with the aim of addressing the barriers impacting on Traveller and Roma attendance, participation and retention in education;
  • An independent assessment STAR is due to commence this year in line with Programme for Government commitments. A Research Advisory Board with Traveller representation is also being established to support the evaluation;
  • Creation of a new post in the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) with a dual role in overseeing, developing and supporting CPD in social inclusion and in DEIS;
  • Establishment of 10 new Home School Community Liaison (HSCL) coordinator posts in 14 non-DEIS post-primary schools with high numbers of Traveller and Roma students under the Dormant Accounts Fund 2023. HSCL coordinators have access to funding for initiatives to encourage improvements in school attendance, retention and progression for Traveller and Roma students, and funding is provided for supports to ensure the effectiveness of the HSCL role in working with Traveller and Roma families.
  • Funding was provided under the 2022 Dormant Accounts Action plan to support learners impacted by educational disadvantage. Included in this was €100,000 to support Traveller education transitions between various stages to support greater attendance levels, participation and retention in education. Transition between education levels can present challenges in relation to the retention and attendance of some learners, in particular Traveller and Roma learners. The aim of the measure was to provide support for Traveller and Roma learners, and their families, to ease transition between various stages and encourage greater attendance levels, participation and retention by these learners.
  • Other ongoing work under NTRIS includes work by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) on Traveller history and culture in the curriculum, which has involved the appointment of a full-time NCCA Education Officer, work on the development of resources to support teaching and learning about Traveller culture and history, and the setting up of an expert group to advise on various aspects of Traveller culture and history including, for example, music, art and language.

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