Factsheet - Traveller Children
"There is a special minority within each minority
culture - children. In the dominant society, the children of a minority
must endure along with their parents the problems of social and
cultural discrimination, and they are even more exposed to the risk of
cultural dissolution," Children of Minorities, UNICEF 1993.
Traveller children represent a minority within a minority. Accordingly they suffer all the ill effects of inadequate provision that the Traveller community as a whole experiences. This can lead to restricted opportunities in society and can have a detrimental effect on self-esteem and on pride in Traveller culture. In addition, children are especially vulnerable to ill health and poor physical and cognitive development.
According to Census, 2002
- Forty two per cent of Travellers are under 15 years.
- The average family size is 3.5 children.
Traveller children participate actively in family life and are confident and mature in adult company. However, children experience and are affected by hostility from the majority community both directly and indirectly.
Traditionally Traveller children has been fully part of the adults
society, speaking freely and frankly within adult company. Space for
work, home and children is not segregated. From the earliest age,
children are integrated into the famliy work unit, learning skills by
apprenticeship. The acquisition of these essential skills supports the
positive identity of the child. Unfortunately, these skills are not
always appreciated when the Traveller child enters mainstream
provision. This can have a negative effect and damage the self worth of
the Traveller child.
In line with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), Articles 2, 28, 29 & 30, Traveller children have the right to:
- Adequate accommodation
- Respect for their cultural identity and values
- Appropriate education
- Freedom and protection from discrimination
- The voice of the Traveller child needs to be heard in policy development
- Research on the wellbeing of the Traveller child is urgently needed
- Measures to tackle discrimination, which effect the development of full potential of the Traveller child, need to be put in place urgently.
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