Roma Traveller Seminar April 2009

  Case studies and other useful information arising from this successful event:

  Seminar Report:

‘Working Together to Support Roma 2’. This event was jointly funded by the

Northern Association of Support Services for Equality and Achievement (NASSEA)  and the Northern Traveller Education Services (TESS’s)

There are believed to be around 8 – 12 million Roma throughout the world. They are the largest ethnic group within the European Union. The word ‘Roma’ is used to describe Gypsies from Eastern and Central Europe and is generally preferred to the term ‘Gypsy’ which is increasingly viewed as pejorative.

Linguistic studies have revealed that Roma originated from groups of people moving out of India, from 800CE. These groups spread into Europe through the middle ages and some arrived in the UK at around 1500CE. Roma were influenced by the languages and cultures of the countries they inhabited. However, Roma have a shared culture and language called Romani, but there are variations between groups and families.

In recent years Roma have been coming to the UK in greater numbers. In the 1990’s they came as asylum seekers, after the collapse of communist regimes. Following the recent accession of 10 countries to the European Union, Roma have moved to the UK and other countries to seek employment and enhance their life opportunities.

Roma families have come from: Kosovo, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and the Baltic States. Some children have been to schools in other countries as well as their home countries, before coming to the UK.

Historically Traveller Education Support Services (TESS’s) have supported schools with Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) pupils on roll. However, as Roma children and young people have English as an Additional Language (EAL), staff from TESS’s and their EMA colleagues are increasingly working in partnership to meet the needs of these children. There has been a joint focus on valuing both the cultural and linguistic aspects of these pupils’ education and development

Following a successful seminar in Manchester in 2008, ‘Working Together to Support Roma’), a similar event took place in Bolton in April 2009, entitled:

‘Working together to support Roma 2’

This was funded jointly between the Northern Association of Support Services for Equality and Achievement (NASSEA) and the Northern Traveller Coordinators. Forty five delegates attended from across the North, representing seventeen local authorities. Some resources from this seminar can be found on this website. They are highlighted in blue.

Delegates attended workshops according to the particular ethnic group they were interested in. There were 5 groups, discussing the following groups of Roma: Czech, Polish, Romanian, Hungarian and Slovakian. The organizing team from Bolton, Kirklees and Calderdale, Manchester, Oldham and Tameside had provided case studies of children, to consider and discuss at the workshops. The 5 case studies are provided here. The Polish case study has been updated after the training event. Groups discussed these in various ways, referring to their own populations in their local authorities, sharing information and support strategies. You will also find a ‘Case Study Action Sheet’ which may help to guide your discussions about providing joint, comprehensive support for Roma families.

A list of websites was given out, which is available here.

Claudia Cundell from Tameside gave out a quiz, which may also be downloaded here, plus answer sheet.

Bolton TESS hosted the event and Kath Cresswell gave a powerpoint presentation about the Bolton team’s week in Hungary in April 2008. The team spent five days training there and it was very interesting and informative to share their experiences.

Liz Cawley from Kirklees and Calderdale showed part of two DVDs:.

1)      ‘Be Roma or Die Tryin’’ which is about Roma boys in London trying to find links to their language and culture among other groups

2)      ‘Roma by Roma’ which has six personal stories, each approximately twenty minutes long. We listened to Danuta who came to England to escape discrimination and was trying to teach her culture to her grandchildren. She was happy to live in England and commented: “ Here in England everyone is equal”

These DVDs are produced by the Roma Support Group, who produce many good resources. (See website list).

The following translated resources were also mentioned at the seminar:

·         Words and phrases in a variety of languages –  contact:

·         Translated school letters originally produced with Excellence in Cities funding by Dingle, Granby and Toxteth EAZ. Now temporarily hosted by www.primaryresources.co.uk

NASSEA’S International New Arrivals working group is currently considering planning another training event.

Roma and The European Union

  Case Studies:

POLISH ROMA CASE STUDY – KLAUDIA (not real name)

AND FOLLOW UP NOTES

A Headteacher has contacted the Consultant for Traveller pupils requesting help.  Klaudia has joined the Year 6 class in a small rural Primary school having had 2 periods of schooling totaling approximately one year in other schools in the authority.  Klaudia’s Mother is Polish Roma, her father is Turkish but is no longer with them, they live with her younger sister who is 2 years old and her Mother’s new partner.  Her brother aged 7 years lives with her grandparents about 4 miles away. She speaks Polish and Romani at home, had some early education in Germany and isn’t literate in Polish. 

Klaudia’s spoken English is good and she is currently reading at Level 6 on the Oxford Reading Scheme.  Staff are concerned because her writing is so poor; she takes a long time to write anything and although she can read most of the Reception words, she struggles to write them and to produce sentences.  At present K attends Phonics sessions most mornings with a TA and younger children.

K’s attendance is erratic and she has been on a Child in Need plan for 6 months, following times when she was left home alone with her baby sisiter.   K has been seen getting on a train some mornings with her mother and sister when she should be in school.  When school staff make home visits her mother says that Klaudia is poorly and will return to school soon.  The headteacher has managed to get a transition form completed with Klaudia’s mother for the local Secondary school but there are concerns about how she will cope. 

FOLLOW UP NOTES ON CASE STUDY - KLAUDIA POLISH ROMA PUPIL

Like the school staff, the TES Co-ordinator was puzzled at the discrepancy between Klaudia’s speaking and writing skills.  K still got the alphabet sounds muddled, ‘forgot’ words she had read before and said herself that she couldn’t write because she felt ‘confused’.  An EAL colleague suggested using the Oldham scheme for deciding whether a heritage language assessment was needed to establish if K had SEN and a proforma for carrying it out.  The SEN Advisor suggested that the Fischer Family Reading Programme would be a good intervention even though it’s intended for Year 1, 2 and 3 pupils. 

It has been arranged for a Yr 1 teacher and TA from the school to attend for 3 days training put on by the authority so that K can gain from 3 intervention sessions a week and there will be some capacity within the school for future needs.  Attendance is still only about 70% but the phonics programme, a weekly 1:1 session with the TEC together with good support from her peers appears to be building confidence and improved writing skills for K.

Details of the FFT programme can be found at www.fischertrust.org

September 2009 – Klaudia has transferred to Secondary school and things are going well.  Although she certainly has some learning difficulties, Klaudia feels more confident and has a good circle of friends from her primary school.

Karel is the eldest of 5 children; his siblings are currently 10,8,6 and twins aged 4. The family came to England in 2004 when Karel was 7 and stayed here for 1 year, returning to Hungary in 2005 due to the illness of the grandfather. They remained in Pecs for almost 2 years then returned to England in the winter of 2007, bringing the grandmother with them. The father currently works as a driver with an agency; in Pecs he ran his own business repairing shoes.

School history:

When Karel came to the UK in 2007 he was 7 years old. He had not attended nursery provision in Hungary and was due to start school that summer. When the family came to the UK they originally lived in Peterborough and Karel started his schooling at a small junior school (150 pupils) on the outskirts of the town. His lack of previous education was acknowledged and Karel progressed well with support, both in his acquisition of English and in his academic studies.

On his return to Hungary he attended the school in the village where he lived. The school had 100 pupils. All the children attending the school were Rroma; it was overcrowded and the teachers were commited to the childrens’ education but were not qualified and had limited resources.

Due to his educational input in the UK Karel achieved well compared to the other students.

On return to the UK the family settled in the North West and Karel was admitted to primary school. However, due to the time of return he only had 3 months in the primary school before he had to transfer to secondary school.

Karel found it difficult to settle into his education in the secondary school and all through year 7 his attendance was not good (65%). He also found himself in conflict with other pupils and there were regular complaints about his behaviour in class.

At the start of year 8 Karel’s behaviour and attendance improved temporarily when new year 7 Rroma pupils began to attend the school, but by Christmas had deteriorated again.

Karel is currently in the class for children with difficulties (and has been since his arrival in year 7).

Nursery provision – available in big towns and cities for children aged 4 – 7.

Primary school – children start primary school aged 7 and stay until they are 15.

                            Schools tend to be sized 300 – 500.

                            Children stay here until they pass their School Leaving Certificate.

                Children can be kept down in a year until they achieve the level of work                                                        

                            (class progression by achievement, not age).

Secondary school – young people aged 15 – 18.

                             Equivalent to our FE system, providing vocational and university

                             preparation courses.

1. Where do the Roma originate from?

a)    Romania

b)    India

c)    Ukraine

2. What percentage of European Roma are thought to lead a nomadic lifestyle?

a)    20%

b)    30%

c)    40%

3. What did a recent survey suggest was wanted by 68% of Italians?

a)    The exclusion of all Italy’s Roma

b)    All Roma children to be schooled in separate schools

c)    A new prime minister

4. What has Poland recently put a stop to?

a)    Employment which discriminates against Roma

b)    Roma-only school classes

c)    Cartoons with Roma characters

5. According to a report from UNICEF what proportion of Roma households in South East Europe did not have enough food to eat?

a)    Two thirds

b)    One quarter

c)    One half

6. What religion do Roma tend to adopt?

a)    Roman Catholic

b)    Muslim

c)    Various religions

1. Where do the Roma originate from?

2. What percentage of European Roma are thought to lead a nomadic lifestyle?

3. What did a recent survey suggest was wanted by 68% of Italians?

4. What has Poland recently put a stop to?

5. According to a report from UNICEF what proportion of Roma households in South East Europe did not have enough food to eat?

6. What religion do Roma tend to adopt?

   Roma Websites  Support to schoolswww.romasupportgroup.org.uk European Roma Rights Centre www.errc.org Roma in Slovakiawww.slovakia.org/society-roma.htm Roma in Czechwww.romea.cz/english             http://romove.radio.cz/en/ General newswww.romnews.com Travellers Timeswww.travellerstimes.org.uk Nigel Dickinson (images of Roma)www.nigeldickinson.com Report on Roma/Gypsy Traveller Children in Europewww.savethechildren.org.uk  Legal right of working in the UK (in different languages)www.worksmart.org.uk/rights/viewsubsection.php?sun=82www.dti.gov.uk/employment/migrant-workers/index.html Information & Action Gypsy/Roma:www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/ethnicminorities Education of Gypsy Roma in Europe:www.pjb.co.uk/npl/bp46.htm Patrin Web Journals (articles):http://www.multiverse.ac.uk Information on different Romani dialects:http://romani.kfunigraz.ac.at/romlex/ Information on the Romani languagehttp://www.llc.manchester.ac.uk/Research/Projects/romani/ Roma and Travellers Department (Council of Europe):http://www.coe.int/T/DG3/RomaTravellers/Default en.asp Dosta:www.dosta.org
Other useful websites http://www.newburypark.redbridge.sch.uk/langofmonth/index.html46 languages.  Key words and greetings in different languages  www.britishcouncil.org/kids-topics-school.htmOn line activities and downloadable resources for children www.emas4success.org/NewToEnglishLots of support, guidance, teaching materials and links www.qca.org.uk/qca_7536.aspxInformation on most countries, languages, ethnicity, culture, religion and the education system.  Resources, websites and notes on some issues for teachers in schools in the UK. http://www.mantralingua.com  Books & resources in most languages, including the talking pen which translates English into various texts. www.milet.comDual language and multi-cultural books and resources http://worldlanguagebooks.com/Books in other languages http://a4esl.org/Bi-lingual online quizzes and activities.  Students can also test themselves in English vocabulary starting with colours. www.instantdisplay.co.ukColourful displays for Primary schools.  Some free sets including Polish phrases, months, days, seasons and numbers. http://freetranslation.imtranslator.com/Translates words and text from English to all the new European languages or reverse http://www.collaborativelearning.org/Network of teaching professionals throughout the EU promoting inclusive education.  Lots of activities to download in all subject areas and for all ages. http://learnenglish.de/website for learning English, interactive online. www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/primary/publications/inclusion/newarrivals/1160039National Strategies Inclusion.  Guidance for teachers in settings with little or no access to expert support.  Strategies to help the beginner in the classroom. http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/beginners/step_1.htmthis programme can provide pupils at the early stages of learning English with additional opportunities to develop basic communicative English – best for KS2 early stage EAL learners.  Lots of topics in word documents with guidance for teachers. www.primaryresources.co.ukGeneric letters in a range of languages for schools.     

GYPSY, ROMA & TRAVELLERS Contact list

 

Report from the GRT Early Years Meeting in Oldham 08.07.09 ‘Save the Children’ re-established Gypsy, Roma, Traveller Early Years meetings across the country and in the North West the last one took place in Oldham at the Centre for Professional Development on 8^th July 2009.The End of Year Report 2008/9 Save the Children ‘Early Years Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Project’ is attached.There is a briefing about this research entitled: ‘A Stronger Foundation’ which summarises this research. It begins with:“Research has found that the most effective way to promote the achievement of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children is to ensure they are able to gain early access to education during the foundation stage.”Also see their website: www.savethechildren.org.uk/earlyyearsAlso see the NATT+ website: www.natt.org.uk Also see the website for the Northern Association of Support Services for Equality and Achievement (NASSEA’s) website: www.nassea.org.uk Bolton Traveller education service (TES) has produced a booklet entitled: ‘Early Years Good Practice Guide to working with Gypsy, Roma and Travellers. Contact travellers.education@bolton.gov.uk Agenda for Oldham 08.07.09 - see attached document.Attendees – see attached document. 15 people attended today from 6 local authoritiesContributions from people at today’s meeting:·         Nursery Education Grant and information about the Family information Service:Jean Reid, the Coordinator of Oldham’s Family Information Service and Sarah Bell, the Business Support Manager of the Early Intervention and Prevention Service explained how the Nursery Education Grant operates, who is entitled and when etc. From September 2009, in the term after a child’s 3^rd birthday, they are entitled to 15 hours grant for a free place at a nursery. This may be taken at any time during the week, subject to availability at a particular nursery. This is useful information to pass onto Gypsy, Roma and Traveller families. They also gave an overview of the work of the Family Information Service. This is a free service to parents and carers, children and young people from 0 – 20 years of age. They also support extended family too, finding out any required information and signposting people to appropriate services. These include: financial support; health issues and there is a ‘Choice Adviser’ who supports children transferring between educational establishments.    They hold a database of OfSTED registered child care and unregistered provision of services, such as local dance classes and smoking cessation classes, to name just a few. They advertise local events, for example,producing a ‘passport to summer’, which advertised a wide range of events. They have information stands at events and send out information if they cannot attend personally. They have a challenge and support role in raising the quality of play and learning, serving their local community. They hold ‘Play and Stay’ sessions, do sensory work and support transition for families with children moving into primary schools. They have transition documents for children, parents and teachers. They provide day care for children aged 3 – 5 years, for both private and funded places. Their website is: www.ouroldham.info  The free phone line for the Family Information Service in Oldham is: 0800 731 1518. They are a statutory service, so there will be an equivalent service in your area, though it may have a different name. Contact your service – they are a mine of information to pass onto the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller families you support.·         Linda Corfield referred to some useful Early Years materials and colleagues shared comments about what they had found useful – see agenda for list.·                     Joelle from Tameside demonstrated a display that staff use when considering ‘Homes’ and ‘Me’ topics, often discussed during the autumn term in schools. There were lovely items – a barge, new and old fashioned trailers, figures, artefacts and books. Joelle works for the Consolidation of Learning (COLT) team in Tameside. They also have a similar circus display. These displays and the useful discussion they generate are well received in educational settings.Cathryn Wood from Beever Street Children’s Centre in Oldham, suggested making up themed boxes for toy libraries in children’s centres and thought that childminders would be interested in using these too.Sue Smith and Melanie Ward from St Helens commented that these displays could also be used in ‘Diversity’ lessons.  Misbah Rana from Oldham said that these materials would be useful in promoting Community Cohesion and said that it would encourage schools to purchase appropriate materials to include GRT communities in discussions and embed relevant issues in the curriculum.  Many Early Years staff in Oldham are based in Barn Street, which has a toy library and it would be a good idea for GRT toys to be available there too.Misbah also referred to the new Ofsted guidance in operation from September 2009. This highlights ‘Relationships with Schools’. There is a section referring to GRT children, including ‘Outcomes for Learners’.Jan Bradburn for the Manchester INA, Traveller and Supplementary Schools Team, is going to write a leaflet for the Manchester Toy Library. ·                     Sue and Melanie  from St Helen’s then gave a demonstration of the materials they use. They have a covered ‘hawking’ style basket which they use when delivering ‘Diversity’ lessons in school, usually two, one hour lessons per week, which they have done in many primary schools in St Helen’s. Children put their hands through the cover in the basket and pull out artefacts, such as a water can, paper flower, partly made wooden clothes peg, model horse, trailer etc.. Each item, its use and significance is discussed. The girls also use a small gas bottle, a caravan step and a big card showing the entrance to a vardo. They discuss how Travellers lived in the past and how they live now. The books used are: ‘Melissa to the Rescue’, with years 1 and 2 and ‘A Horse for Joe’ with years 3 and 4.The girls have worked in children’s centres in St Helens at ‘Play and Stay’ sessions too. They play ‘Crown Derby Lotto’ and lace cards with pictures of horses and trailers on them. They recommend referring to: www.savethechildren.org.uk/en/docs/play-activities.pdf ·         Cathryn Wood from Beever Street Children’s Centre in Oldham explained the Early Years Foundation Stage Principles to us. This sets the standards for learning, development and care for children from birth to five. The 4 main blocks are: ‘A Unique Child’, ‘Positive Relationships’ Enabling Environments’ and ‘Learning and Development’. There are then 4 sections in each block. A useful folder, files and CDs are available from DCSF.The important message from Cathryn’s session was that the main focus for learning is what each individual child shows an interest in. Educators should plan a child’s learning and interact with the child from that basic focus. We had an interesting discussion that helped to steer our session when we looked at the Traveller books and decided how we would use them with young children.People split into several groups and used one of the following books to work on:‘Travellers A Talkabout Book’ – 16 – 26 months‘Come and Count With Us’ – 22 – 36 months‘Shaun’s Wellies’ – 30 – 50 monthsEach group considered the books under the 6 Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) headings of:Ø  Personal, Social and Emotional Development Ø  Communication, Language and Literacy Development Ø  Problem Solving Ø  Reasoning and NumeracyØ  Knowledge and Understanding of the World Ø  Physical Development        Ø  Creative Development This was an enjoyable session and each group produced an A3 sheet of ideas, which we all shared.

Venue, date and time of next meeting  Monday 9^th November 10am-2pm at St Helen’s Town Hall. ·        

There is a play and display car park at this venue·         Lunch will be provided·         The main agenda item will be to consider activities for GRT History Month.  This will be a practical session and attendees should bring materials and objects to demonstrate what they will be doing in their area next June. 

Linda Corfield

Advisory Teacher Traveller Education

Oldham 16^th October 2009

 This is a web-site packed with interesting activities that schools can engage with, particularly this year's Gypsy, Roma, Traveller month held in June this year and lots of resources

http://www.natt.org.uk/index.html

Below is a useful website that is helpful in supporting GRT

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/may/03/roma-hungary-race-discrimination

 Hungarian Roma take to streets in self-defence Nick Thorpe in
> Tiszal?k, Hungary Sunday May 3 2009 The Observer
>
>
> Panicked Roma communities in Hungary are forming self-defence groups
after a spate of attacks on their settlements claimed five lives in 10
months. The murders have led police to double the size of a task force
investigating anti-Roma crimes and police sources believe the same group
may be responsible for attacks using rifles and home-made explosives.
Far-right groups have denied any links to the attacks, but emphasise the
need to fight "Gypsy crime".
>
> "We're getting organised," says Gyula Borsi, a Roma leader in
Tiszal?k, north-east Hungary, where the latest victim was buried last
week. "We have no other choice. We won't permit our members to carry
weapons of any sort," he said, "no guns, no axes." The new Roma civil
defence groups will patrol until dawn in groups of six in the streets of
the cig?ny-telepek - the Gypsy ghettoes - where the Roma of eastern
Europe are usually found.
>
> Ninety per cent of Roma interviewed in Hungary in a recent EU survey
said discrimination due to ethnic origin was widespread, followed by 83%
in the Czech Republic and 81% in Slovakia. The report, by the EU Agency
for Fundamental Rights, found "high levels of discrimination and
victimisation among the Roma in the seven member states surveyed".
>
> The figures for Hungary are particularly alarming, because until now,
the country had claimed to have one of the more enlightened pro-Roma
policies in the region. There are elected local minority councils, a
system of scholarships for secondary and higher education, and carefully
calibrated funds for schools to try to ensure classes have no more than
25% minority pupils.
>
> In the Czech Republic, 500 activists of the far-right Workers Party
attacked a Roma settlement in Litvinov, north of Prague last November,
with machetes, pitchforks and Molotov cocktails. Three hundred Roma,
also armed, gathered to defend their community. At least seven riot
police and seven demonstrators were injured in running battles. In
Slovakia last month, the minority rights ombudsman called for an
investigation after a video was broadcast showing policemen forcing Roma
boys to strip and slap each others' faces, in the eastern city of
Kosice.
>
> In Hungary, the latest victim of the attacks on the Roma, 54-year-old
Jeno Koka was buried in Tiszal?k on Wednesday, with all the honour and
pageant that a poor, marginalised community can muster. Hundreds of
mourners came from miles around.
>
> "A storm has descended on us," Sandor Gaal, the Protestant bishop of
eastern Hungary, told the assembled crowd. As a Gypsy band played, many
onlookers wept.
>
> "Everyone in the community, regardless of ethnic background, condemns
this murder," said Sandor Gomzem mayor of Tiszal?k. "Many people are
afraid that recent tension between the majority and minority will
increase." Tiszal?k recently came third in a national league for
offences per head of the population. At 20%, unemployment is double the
national average. Factories are closing, or cutting their workforces, as
a result of the recession.
>
> According to liberal commentators, Gypsies have now replaced Jews as
the main butt of middle-class hostility in eastern Europe. Jobbik, a
far-right party hostile to the Roma, won only 2% in the last elections,
but now expects to easily break the 5% threshold and enter parliament in
the next. Its party website states: "The phenomenon of Gypsy crime is a
unique form of delinquency which is different from the crimes of the
majority in nature and force."
>
> "What we're saying is that there is a problem in Hungary that has been
swept under the carpet for quite a while," says Zoltan Fuzessy, a
spokesman on foreign relations for the party. "Jobbik is basically just
trying to open a discussion about it." A paramilitary off-shoot of
Jobbik, the Hungarian Guard, was formed in 2007, as a "uniformed
self-defence group".
>
> Copyright Guardian Newspapers Limited 2009