TSC News Spring 2003

Travelers’ School Charity Newsletter Spring 2003

Http://www.travellersschool.plus.com
Is the web address for the charity’s new website over the past month it has been moved and re organised. It is hoped that staff will be trained in website management so that the site can become more vibrant with input from different people and maybe the kids as well. Regular updates have been posted on the site during the past 3 month Computer Classroom mission. This newsletter will also be posted on the site about a week after the postal version has been sent out.

The Computer Classroom has spent the last 3 months travelling around the country and is taking a short break before going back on the road in a month or so.

The Computer Classroom Project has benefited more than 70 children this winter so far. Adults have also used the facilities, and been particularly keen to upgrade their skills. 9 different sites have been visited to date, when we couldn't access the sites we parked up in lay-bys and car parks! Staff ratios rarely went over 1:3 and all the people who used the equipment really enjoyed it. A big thank you to Generator X for their committment and dedication to keeping the project on the road and powered by Renewable Energy and thank you to all the other people involved at every level, each contribution is valuable and helps to create a more positive horizon on the front line of social change.

In addition to gaining IT skills the community also benefited from 40 hours of Renewable Energy training, this is an average of 4.4 hours for each site visited, not surprisingly, many Travellers are more interested in Bio Diesel and waste oil conversion than solar and wind power!

One reason for this is that a lot of people already have a diesel generator and are attracted to making use of a waste product, whereas the outlay on wind and solar energy collection is much greater and the payback period is probably tenfold as a result.

Our efforts have kindled the interest of two Local Education Authorities, and now that a level of communication has been established we hope to develop a working relationship which gives Travellers a chance to be heard. Although we keep hearing of new computer buses from one source or another we still haven't actually come accross one 'in the steel.' The LEA Computer Bus in the Oxford area is being provided for adults as the one thing the LEA doesn't want to do is tempt the children out of school.

It is very exciting to know that soon there may be more mobile computer facilities available to Travellers, and hopefully the Travelling communities can learn to appreciate the real benefits of IT Communications within the context of their lifestyles. What still makes the TSC Computer Project stand out from all the rest is it's focus on Renewable Energy as a power source, this provides a sustainable solution to power consumption for education, and an ethical investment in our childrens' future.

Joe Dykes, a Traveller Education Consultant has consulted the Charity about meeting with New Travellers to discuss ways in which the Education Team can better serve their needs.As the TSC were in the area working on site at Corby, two people went to Peterborough on March 10th to attend the first of these meetings.

Topics covered included;

The neccessity of TRUST in any future relations due to the fundamental issue that it is the very same Council that evict people, preventing them from gaining access to public services.

If a positive working relationship is to be pursued, the Travellers' School Charity pointed out that any City Council Employee must be prepared to do more than 'just their job' or mutual trust cannot be developed.

The need to respect Cultural Diversity in relation to mainstream Educational provision.

Schools are becoming more politically correct, but this is not the time to sit back on one's laurels and congratulate, it is the time to try running the mile where an inch has been offered! At a time when new Laws are coming into effect and more parking places are blocked off, now is the time to put pressure on City Councils to provide access to extra help to gain access to schools, funding to support at-home learning and specifically tailored culture friendly additions to the curriculum.

Aknowledgement of learning in-situ, many children and young adults have reached a high level of skill through experiences within their lifestyle. National Curriculums could give room to appreciate these special attributes helping to raise self esteem and confidence levels. Also the TSC argued that schools need to be more flexible to cater for the needs of Travelling families.

In conclusion, the TSC advised that if the Council (Peterborough) wanted to be able to produce statistics on New Travellers, they would have to prove WHY? Families will be unlikely to partake in information exchange unless they can see sound reason for doing so and tangible benefits as a result. Joe Dykes bought a copy of 'the Educational Needs of New Traveller Children' published by the TSC in 2000, and the Computer Classroom Phase 1 Report/Annual Report. He was impressed by the web-site and generally the meeting gave him and his team plenty of food for thought.

The fee paid for this work was £77 for each person, we accepted this sum (plus expenses) on this occasion, however after later discussions we decided that £100 per day would be the minimum fee acceptable, we might not have Phd's but 30+ years' experience on the road has to have a price don't you think?

(If you are interested in this type of work, or have any comments please do get in touch)

Kurt Jackson, an artist who lives in Cornwall and donated £600 this year to the Charity gave us the opportunity of saying thank you in person, he came to visit the Computer Classroom in action at Dolly's Dump, St Keverne.

It was a sunny, windy day and the solar panels and wind generators performed especially well to display the wonderful renewable energy potential in Cornwall. Kurt himself is looking to install a grid-link wind/pv system into his house near Penzance. We wish him well with his new installation, in such a location he will never be short of power. He intends to donate some more funds to support our work.

OXFORD CITY COUNCIL GETS A COMPUTER BUS
Looks like we started a fashion! The money has to be spent by December, they are looking for 3 employees now. That's 2 IT Technicians and 1 Project Leader, basically the project involves going around Oxfordshire delivering computer Training to Adults.

K Evans

The TSC attended a meeting with Kathy Turner, a Traveller Education Service worker and she is arranging for our Computer Classroom to visit an Irish Traveller site where there are mixed literacy levels and also a Fairground Family who have their own computer but haven't yet got to grips with it. To request an application form for one of their vacancies phone Kathy asap 01865 420089.

TRUSTEES URGENTLY REQUIRED
If you want to see the Charity survive please get in touch with us to offer your support. Anyone who is interested or who would like to become a Trustie should write or telephone as soon as possible and be prepared to travel to the next meeting in Charmouth where the AGM will be held on 17th May at the HES FES gathering.

The next TSC meeting will be on the 17th of May at the HES FES in Charmouth, all welcome, it will be the AGM, presentation of the Annual Accounts and election of officers

The TSC has just been awarded £500 from Groundswell UK's small grant scheme towards Public Liability Insurance (currently priced at £69 per month). THANK YOU Groundswell for saving us again!!

To Subscribe to the postal version of the newsletter click here

The Travellers’ School Charity’s aim is that Travellers and their children have access to
opportunities, freedom and choice, achieved through education.