UNCRC Articles 2, 27, 30
What is the action area?
5 Gypsy/Traveller children and young people
What specific action will we take?
- Fund Article 12 in Scotland (a young person led network that works to promote young people's participation and information rights) to take forward development work with a group of Gypsy/Traveller children and young people over the next 2 years.
- Continue to fund for 2009-10 work with Gypsy/Traveller communities to support community development, including with children and young people.
- Look at how the 'One Scotland' campaign can address specific issues affecting Gypsy/Traveller communities.
- Fund the Scottish Traveller Education Programme ( STEP) in 2009-10 to provide support and information on the education of Gypsy/Traveller children and young people to local authorities. This includes development of an e-learning tool and a review of joint guidance with Learning and Teaching Scotland and Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education on education provision.
- Review our guidance on site management for local authorities in consultation with Gypsies/Travellers, including children and young people in the Gypsy/Traveller community.
- Continue to fund local authorities to support the refurbishment and creation of local authority Gypsy/Traveller sites from 2008-09 to 2010-11.
Why are we doing this?
The UN Committee stated:
The Committee recommends that the State party ensure full protection against discrimination on any grounds, including by …strengthening its awareness-raising and other preventive activities against discrimination and, if necessary, take affirmative actions for the benefit of vulnerable groups of children, such as: Roma and Irish Travellers' children…
The Committee would like to highlight that an adequate standard of living is essential for the child's physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social development and that child poverty also affects infant mortality rates, access to health and education as well as everyday quality of life of children. In accordance with article 27 of the Convention, the Committee recommends that the State party … reintroduce a statutory duty on local authorities to provide safe and adequate sites for Travellers.
The Scottish Government recognises that Gypsy/Traveller children and young people face significant barriers in fully enjoying their rights. This can affect their access to education, health services, play and leisure opportunities and suitable amenities for their accommodation. Addressing these concerns will help to tackle the significant inequalities in Scottish society - national outcome 7 and help create a strong, fair and inclusive national identity - national outcome 13.
What was said in the consultation?
Respondents to the written consultation highlighted Gypsy/Traveller children and young people as being one example of groups who are particularly vulnerable to discrimination, educational exclusion and poor standards of accommodation. There was also concern abut the accessibility of the Gypsy/Traveller virtual learning environment.
There was a suggestion from one respondent to set up a children and young people's stakeholder group to advise and provide information on Gypsy/Traveller issues.
In the children and young people's consultation strand, a local investigation team of young Gypsies/Travellers highlighted 5 issues as being most important to a group of their peers: the right to be who I want to be; the right to have fun; the right to a home of my own; the right to health care; the right to privacy.