• • • organise a benefit jumble sale/gig etc.
    • donate books, toys, games, etc.
    • come to meetings and become an advisor or trustee
    • volunteer as a helper in a kids' space at events
    • publicise and promote the TSC in any way.

Events

This summer, the TSC has been participating in a similar set of events to last year. like the Big and Northern Green Gatherings
If you want to meet up with us to chat; join us as a volunteer:   police check required  
or ask us to another event, please write or call.

Contacts

• We look forward to hearing from you
  
  • 1. Try on the Numeric Pagers 04325 120808 or 01426-218424 leave your Phone No.
    
  • 2. Fax and Telephone messages to 0845 281 8571

  e-mail webmaster   (up to a week to retrieve mail)
  e-mail mailto:fstoner@www.freenetname.co.uk  Francis Stoner is Chair of the Trustees of the TSC.
  e-mail Ross Floss
  Other Contacts

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  Aims

  The TSC aims to help Travellers with the successful education of children. This may be through the provision of advice and materials for home education; or through back-up work for children whose education has suffered through constant changes in school. There is also a commitment to advise parents about pre-school teaching.

  The TSC works across the whole of the UK, both through a variety of projects and by responding to postal requests. The old "Skool Bus" has gone, but two geodesic domes remain.

  Fiona, (a qualified and expierienced teacher) has worked on the development of new materials, correspondence courses, and liaises with Traveller Education Services.

  She has also been general secretary, co-ordinating fund raising, publicity and enquiries. Volunteers are available to offer a constructive play area and publicity stall at events nationwide. Pager 01426-218424.

  For the past 5 years, One of the Trustees and Treasurer, Lucy, has been co-ordinating the organisation of children's camps, at which groups of Traveller families can meet and work together.

  Thers is a corespondence education course available; monthly deliveries of relevant resources are made to sites as we know of them; advice and help is offered to those wanting to select appropriate schools, while those needing particular materials for education at home are assisted.

  Workbooks, stories and colouring books reflecting traveller culture are available; as well as advice leaflets free to travellers - donation appreciated. At cost price to other home educators.

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  Subscriptions

  If you wish to subscribe to the TSC for £8 p.a. you will receive the quarterly newsletter and help us with funding, fuel, and communications. (£6 to travellers & unwaged)
  Cheques/POs payable to "TSC"

  PO BOX 36, Grantham, Lincs. NG31 6EW

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  Education steps back in time

  by the National Association of Teachers of Travellers (NATT)

  
  

  Traveller Education Support Services

  have been dealt a puzzling and potentially lethal blow by changes announced in the latest Standards Fund Circular (16/99). The changes were made without consultation with any informed professional or community groups and will surely undermine support for the education of some of the most vulnerable children.

  Funding for additional support is currently through the Specific Grant Programme for the Education of Travellers and Displaced Persons (Section 488 of the Education Act 1996), at the rate of 65% from central government. It had to be retained centrally for the provision of support services across an LEA. However, from April 2000 funding will be incorporated into the Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant (EMAG) as a new @Ethnic Minority and Traveller Achievement Grant', and will be cut to 58%. Funding may be help back, but should be devolved to schools if there are "sufficient" numbers of Traveller pupils in any one school.

  
  
  

  KEY ISSUES

  Some key issues raised by the changes from April 2000 are:

  • 
    

  • Not all travelling communities are ethnic groups, some are occupational groups such as fairground and circus communities. Bringing these groups, mobile for employment reasons, under the umbrella of a grant which is focused on ethnicity, creates confusion in an already very complex situation, and may cause offence. The Specific Grant for Traveller Education has always been used to support access for children who are underachieving because of mobility, as well as for reasons associated with ethnicity.

    
    

  • Many Traveller pupils create unique challenges for the education system, in that they frequently move within LEAs and frequently cross LEA boundaries. Traveller Education Services and NATT have supported innovative work for continuity of education for such children e.g. Educational Contacts book for Travelling Families, school-based distance learning packs; this work depends on the flexibility of centrally coordinated services and committed specialist staff. If any proportion of funding is devolved to schools, experience shows that erosion of LEA central support services will follow.

    
    

  • Many pupils are admitted to school at short notice, mid-year and for short periods of time, and yet funding must be devolved for a whole year. This change assumes that the admission of Travellers to a school can be predicted, which in most cases it cannot.

    
    

  • A cut in the rate of grant and the uncertain future of the central services will also inevitably lead to a loss of specialist skills and an undermining of commitment and confidence in a group of teachers who only last year were being commended by the Government for their dedication.

    
    

  • With respect to 'sufficient numbers' of Traveller pupils, schools that regularly receive Traveller pupils because, for example, they are close to a local authority site, should have already developed good practice and strategies to meet the Traveller pupils needs. This is therefore a simplistic and inadequate trigger for funding.

    
    

  • A cut of Grant rate to 65% will almost certainly amount to a cut of 17% in real terms where LEAs cannot find the extra 7% of funds required to redress the balance. This will be devastating to services, which are already comparatively very small.

    
    

  • It is inconceivable that government could really wish to reverse all that has been achieved in Traveller Education, when there is no evidence that this work is not on track for even greater successess. As a professional association we seek your support in combating this ill-conceived and counter-productive development

  
  

  Contact:

  The National Association of Teachers of Travellers

  c/o Essex Traveller Education Service,

  c/o Alec Hunter High School,

  Stubbs Lane,

  Braintree,

  Essex

  Tel 01277 218998

  Reproduced from "Travellers Times". Newsletter of the Traveller Law Research Unit at Cardiff Law School.

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  Joining traveller-acad

  Mailbase

  To join traveller-acad send the command:

  Join traveller-acad firstname(s) lastname

  (substituting appropriately) as the the only text in the body of a message addressed to:

  mailbase@mailbase.ac.uk

  For general information relating to Mailbase, contact the Mailbase Helpline at

  mailbase-helpline@mailbase.ac.uk

  For any quiries relating to the list, contact the owner at:

  traveller-acad-request@mailbase.ac.uk

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The Travellers' School Charity,
P.O. Box 2, Goodwick,Pembrokeshire. SA64 0ZQ
UK Registered Charity No. 327731