Five students from Traveller community to graduate from Maynooth University
The graduates all work for Traveller organisations
Five Traveller students will graduate from the Bachelor of Social Science Community and Youth Work at Maynooth University.
The graduates all work for Traveller organisations and began the part-time in-service course in 2020.
“This is a significant achievement for the students involved given that less than one percent of Travellers gain third level degrees, and fewer than 31% successfully complete the Leaving Certificate,” said Anastasia Crickley, former Head of Department of Applied Social Studies at Maynooth, and current Chairperson of Pavee Point Traveller and Roma Centre.
“The success of these students shows that Maynooth has continued to seek to create the conditions for students from marginalised and minority communities, including Travellers, to thrive,” Ms. Crickley continued.
Patrick Reilly, who is the coordinator of the Eastern Region Traveller Health Unit Mental Health Programme and works with Pavee Point, left school early due to negative experiences.
“I left school before the Junior Certificate. I felt that the teachers had low expectations for me and other Travellers. I was given the opportunity through my work in Traveller Health to go back and do the Community and Youth Work degree later in life. I am delighted to be graduating today. I would have loved to have the same support when I was at school,” he said.
The degree is a professionally recognised qualification and connects academic coursework to practise, including two external placements.
Each student graduating had a diverse education background. Some had very few years of formal schooling, while others had completed their Leaving Certificate. Despite these varied starting points, and challenges which arose during the pandemic, they all shared a common goal: to enhance their skills and progress to undergraduate education.
“This initiative enabled us as Traveller workers to complete a degree, taking into account gaps in formal education and our core work in community development.” said Bridget Nevin, Primary Health Care Coordinator at TravAct. “Initiatives like this where Travellers are supported are needed to bridge the gap until all Travellers have the same equality of access, participation and outcomes as anyone else.”
This innovative pilot initiative is the result of a partnership between by the Eastern Region Traveller Health Unit (ERTHU), Pavee Point, the Health Service Executive (HSE) and the Department of Applied Social Studies in Maynooth University (MU), sought to promote Traveller participation in higher education and to support Traveller employment opportunities within the HSE.
“This collaboration has been the cornerstone of this programme's success and is further testament to the impact that strong partnerships can have in driving meaningful and lasting change.,” said Martina Queally, Regional Executive Officer for Dublin and South East at the HSE. “I wish to further commend the graduates on their hard work, dedication, and resilience throughout this journey. The knowledge, skills, and experiences they have gained will not only enrich their own work but will also inform and shape the development of future programmes and opportunities for Travellers.”.
Pavee Point has seen education as key to the realisation of Traveller and Roma rights since its foundation in 1985 as Dublin Travellers Education and Development Group and has long campaigned for actions to address gaps in Traveller and Roma education outcomes. The organisation welcomed the first Traveller and Roma Education Strategy (TRES) launched earlier this year which aims to increase higher education completion rates for Travellers and Roma.