Speaking at the conference, 'Changing Attitudes 2009', Arthur Ivatts, an educational consultant at the DCSF, said, 'Awareness of the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller culture needs to be raised among early years practitioners to increase the number of these children accessing early years education.'
Mr Ivatts said GRTs are more excluded than any other group and their access to education is poor. He urged practitioners to consider whether their setting welcomed GRTs by, for example, displaying welcome signs in Romany, using familiar cultural symbols and promoting minority languages.
He said numerous factors were to blame for their low uptake of early years provision, including abuse they receive from the wider community, a GRT fear of the educational system, lack of transport, lack of awareness of the availability of childcare, and poor English.
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