Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

237. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to teach the history of Ireland’s Traveller community through the school curriculum to build on this State’s recognition of traveller ethnicity in 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8706/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

My Department and I are fully committed to developing knowledge and understanding of Traveller culture and history in schools, which will help build a recognition of the important value of Traveller culture and history to this country and help to improve a sense of belonging for Traveller children in schools.

In order to capture what the Traveller community identifies as being key aspects of their culture and history, and important from a curriculum perspective, a research report has been developed by the NCCA. This report was developed in collaboration with an expert group comprising members of the Traveller community and Traveller representatives as part of the NCCA’s commitment to developing resources and materials for schools and early childhood settings.

The purpose of the research report is to support teachers, practitioners and young people to understand, appreciate and learn about aspects of Irish Traveller culture and history. It was developed as a teaching resource to support teaching and learning about Traveller culture and history in early childhood settings and schools working with the curriculum. While this research report provides an overview of Traveller culture and history, it does not attempt to cover every aspect of it, nor does it set out to theorise the Traveller community’s interaction with mainstream society. The report was published by the NCCA in February 2023 and can be found here: ncca.ie/media/5959/traveller-culture-and-history-research-report_en.pdf

The NCCA gathered examples of practice in teaching and learning about aspects of Traveller culture and history contained within the report. Based on this, the NCCA have developed and produced an online video resource exemplifying approaches to including Traveller history and culture in the curriculum, which is due to be published shortly.

Work is also ongoing by the NCCA on a review and redevelopment of the Intercultural Guidelines for primary and post-primary schools, in order to support the further integration of intercultural education in the curriculum, which will link in with relevant aspects of culture and history included in the research report. These guidelines were last updated in 2005 and 2006 at primary and post-primary respectively.

Finally, I would also like to inform you that the Traveller and Roma Education Strategy was published in July last year. This report covers the period to 2030 and sets out the Government’s strategic approach to Traveller and Roma Education, with the aim of enhancing the educational experience and outcomes for Travellers and Roma across the whole education system.