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The University of Southampton
Southampton Education School

Plight of Traveller children to feature on ‘Thinking Allowed’

Published: 15 November 2013

Dr Kalwant Bhopal, Reader in Education, will discuss her research into the experience of Traveller children in schools next Wednesday, 20 November, during the BBC Radio 4 programme ‘Thinking Allowed’.

Dr Bhopal's recently-published paper "We're still human beings, we're not aliens" in the British Educational Research Journal examines the view of Traveller children about attending school, their experiences of racism and prejudice and how they feel that teachers perceive them. The study, co-authored by Professor Ross Deuchar from the University of the West of Scotland, uses data from two studies, one in England the other in Scotland.

"In our research, we draw from case study data to argue that despite public policy discourse around citizenship, the reality is one in which Traveller children continue to be viewed as outsiders," write Dr Bhopal and Professor Deuchar. "Due to this positioning, they do not enjoy the same rights as other children and they are not regarded as full citizens in the school environment.

"We argue that in order for schools to consider issues of diversity and inclusion, they must address ways in which Traveller children can be included as full citizens in schools, particularly in relation to their marginalised position in society."

Dr Bhopal can be heard on BBC Radio 4's ‘Thinking Allowed' on Wednesday, 20 November at 16.00pm. For further information regarding the programme please visit http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03hwbrk 

The full paper ‘We're still human beings, we're not aliens': promoting the citizenship rights and cultural diversity of Traveller children in schools: Scottish and English perspectives' can be accessed here.

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