RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL AND THE MINISTERS OF EDUCATION MEETING WITHIN THE COUNCIL of 22 May 1989 on school provision for children of occupational travellers (89/C 153/01)

THE COUNCIL AND THE MINISTERS FOR EDUCATION, MEETING WITHIN THE COUNCIL,

Having regard to the resolution of the Council and of the Ministers for Education, meeting within the Council, of 9 February 1976 comprising an action programme in the field of education (1),

Considering that on 16 March 1984 the European Parliament adopted a resolution on education for children whose parents have no fixed abode (2) in which it urged the Commission, in cooperation with the Member States, and in consultation with the organizations representing the parents of these children, to take steps to ensure that these children receive an appropriate education, regardless of the Community country in which they happen to be,

Considering that itinerant occupations currently account for a population group of approximately 200 000 persons in the Community,

Considering that the present situation is rather disturbing in general, and in particular with regard to schooling, that quite a considerable number of children do not regularly attend school and some have never been to school, that a very small percentage attend secondary school and beyond, that the level of educational skills bears little relationship to the presumed length of schooling,

Considering that schooling, in particular by providing the means of adapting to a changing environment and achieving personal and professional autonomy, is a key factor in the cultural, social and economic future of itinerant occupations, that parents are aware of this fact and their desire for schooling for their children is increasing,

Noting the results and recommendations of studies carried out on behalf of the Commission on the schooling of children of occupational travellers in the 12 Member States of the Community and the guidelines emerging from the summary report, consultations of gypsy and traveller representatives and discussions between experts and representatives of the Ministries of Education,

HEREBY ADOPT THIS RESOLUTION:

The Council and the Ministers for Education, meeting within the Council, will make every effort to promote a set of measures concerning school provision for children of occupational travellers aiming, without prejudice to the action already being undertaken by the Member States in the light of the particular situations they are experiencing in this area, at developing a global and structural approach helping to overcome the major obstacles to the access of those children to schooling.

After consulting the professional circles concerned, these measures will aim at: - promoting innovatory initiatives,

- proposing and supporting positive and appropriate measures,

- inter-relating achievements,

- widely disseminating the lessons learned.

1. At Member State level

Within the constitutional and financial limits of their own specific educational policies and structures, the Member States will make every effort to: (1) OJ No C 38, 19.2.1976, p. 1. (2) OJ No C 104, 16.4.1984, p. 144. 1.1. Improve information for travelling families (rivercraft, circus and fairground people) regarding educational arrangements, types of education and specific aid made availalbe by the public authorities or private initiative to enable parents to take a responsible attitude towards the education of their children.

1.2. Where possible, improve access to nursery and primary school for the children of occupational travellers (rivercraft, circus and fairground people) in the following ways, for example: (a) by promoting, where appropriate and viable arrangements can be made, mobile education units for occupational travellers' children to accompany or follow circuses or fairs in their travels;

(b) by encouraging nursery and primary schools: - located near mooring areas to develop teaching adapted to the needs and lifestyle of rivercraft children,

- to receive circus and fairground children in the winter break and develop appropriate teaching methods in cooperation with the mobile education units where they exist;

(c) by promoting, where appropriate, the appointment of travelling advisers to assist parents with the pre-school education of their children or help them to supervise distance learning when they have opted for this formula;

(d) by introducing, if appropriate, school record cards to demonstrate the frequency of attendance and the results achieved.

1.3. Take steps to make available full secondary education and appropriate vocational training to the three categories of children, by promoting for example: - sandwich courses which seem best adapted to the needs (practical on-the-job training during the active season and theoretical training during the winter break),

- the establishment, where appropriate, where numbers make such provision viable, of circus secondary schools for circus children and adolescents who wish to train for a career as a circus performer.

1.4. Encourage the provision of accommodation in boarding schools or in lodgings for the three categories of pupils in appropriate cases.

1.5. Encourage if necessary appropriate agencies to inform teachers at the various educational levels during their initial and in-service training of the specific circumstances and needs of occupational travellers' children.

1.6. Promote support, in accordance with the procedures of their respective education systems, for teachers, educators, heads of schools and boarding schools and mobile teaching units.

2. At Community level

2.1. Community involvement in this field is useful for encouraging national initiatives as regards the exchange of experience and to take advantage of innovative pilot projects.

2.2. Carrying out pilot schemes with a view to an exchange of views and experience between those concerned.

2.3. The Commission will ensure the these measures fit in with the other Community measures already planned in the field of education.

It will also ensure that they fit in with Community measures concerning the education of other itinerant people such as gypsies and travellers.

It will also ensure that these activities are compatible with other Community activities such as those of the European Social Fund.

2.4. A report on the implementation of the measures provided for in this resolution will be submitted by the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament as well as to the Education Committee before 31 December 1993.