Education & Employment
TNC are committed to supporting Traveller children and families in engaging in education and training. We work with a range of education and training providers to make services more welcoming and inclusive.
We share the vision of the Irish Traveller Movement that “Travellers will attend and attain at all levels of education and have the confidence in their identity within a whole school environment where diversity is valued and where more Travellers view education as one of the valid means to fulfil their own potential”.
The educational disadvantages faced by the Traveller Community are starkly shown in the following statistics:
- Only 13% of Travellers complete secondary education compared to 92% of the general population.
- 13% of female Travellers are educated to upper secondary level or above, compared with 69% of the female general population.
- 57% of male Travellers are educated to primary level at most, compared with 13.6% of the general population.
- 28% of Travellers leave school before the age of 13, compared to 1% of general population.
- 8% of Travellers have completed education to Leaving Certificate level, compared to 73% of non-Travellers.
- 1% of Travellers aged between 25-64 have a degree, compared to 30% of non-Travellers.
- 50% of Travellers have poor functional literacy, compared to 9% of the general population.
- 18% of Traveller children have no formal education in comparison with 1.4% of the general population.
- 67% of Traveller children live in families where the mother has either no formal education or primary education only.
- 62% of Travellers experience discrimination at school
(Source: Oireachtas Joint Committee Report on Key Issues Facing The Traveller Community – 2021)
Employment
TNC is committed to increasing access to employment for Travellers, by working with education/training providers and employers in the development of courses and apprenticeships, which will lead to employment or self employment and promoting the development of Traveller social enterprises. Our Traveller Education Support Worker provides support for second level students in identifying progression options.
For more information, contact Anita Toner on 022 71035 or email anita-toner@hotmail.com
