Michael Ward, a student at Coláiste Dhúlaigh, is about to become the first male in his local Traveller community to take the Leaving Cert. He talks about the challenges he faced

TRAVELLERS TEND TO get a hard time from the settled community. So it is always worth looking for positive news. Student Michael Ward has been in Coláiste Dhúlaigh since first year and is about to be the school’s first male student from the local Travelling community to complete his Leaving Cert. His community would not have a great tradition of formal education and while he is not the first ever, he is still breaking the mould in a big way.

“I’m very interested in subjects like business, maths and computers,” says Michael. “I hope to continue my education onto third level. I’d like to do a degree in computer science at DIT.

“I love it here in Coláiste Dhúlaigh,” he adds. “I really enjoy school and do a lot of work on my own time. My little brother Dean is in second year also. I have an older sister who also came here but she never made it to secondary school.”

According to the principal of Coláiste Dhúlaigh, Mary Ward, this is a common scenario. “Girls from the Travelling community are more likely to come to school,” she says. “But they tend to marry quite young, around age 17 or 18, and then start a family. Sometimes they return to education when they’re older but more often than not this usually signals the end of their education. Drop-out numbers are high.”

So the tradition of marrying early does affect prospects. This, however, is just one of a number of factors which keep Travellers out of education. “They tend to go to specific training centres rather than the post-primary route,” explains Colette Murray, education officer at Pavee Point. “Such centres are not very helpful as they serve to further segregate Travellers from the settled community.

“Those that do go to school tend to drop out after primary level,” she says. “It is only recently that Travellers have begun transferring into post primary. This is because it is rare for them to get anything out of the education system once they’re finished. What’s the point of doing your Leaving Cert if you’re not going to college, or going to get a job?”

Due to discrimination, Travellers have real difficulty getting jobs. “Many hide their identity to remain in employment which perpetuates the problems of integration,” says Murray.

“Direct experience is key. If you never see a teacher who is a Traveller would you think that you could be one? Many grow up with a very negative perception of themselves. We are working hard to try and support young Travellers to be proud of their identity.

“That’s why Michael must be commended. If you’re the only one in your year with no peer support it must be tough when you go back to the halting site and nobody else is studying. There would be a lot of peer pressure.”

MICHAEL HAS TAKEN some stick from his friends in the past. “When I first started in second year, my friends would slag me,” he says. “They didn’t understand why I would want to spend the next five years of my life at school. Now that I’m nearly finished, they’re all jealous.”

This student is extraordinary not just because he is a Traveller. Not only is he coming from a background where education is uncommon, he also has a good idea where he will be in 10 years’ time. Most students, Travellers or otherwise, don’t know where they will be next week.

“I’m planning to set up my own computer distribution company,” Michael says. “I want to design software programmes and import and sell computers. I’ve already started teaching myself how to design virus-removal software. I’m keen to be a millionaire. I did the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) here in school. It was easy.”

Coláiste Dhúlaigh has a great tradition of boxing, a sport that is also very popular among the Travelling community. “I’d like to do the boxing training here in school but they train on Tuesdays and Thursdays and I have maths and Irish grinds on those nights,” Michael says.

THERE ARE CURRENTLY 38 students from the Travelling community out of a total of 450 in Coláiste Dhúlaigh.

“We had our first female Traveller complete her Leaving Cert last year,” explains Mary Ward. “We do all we can to encourage them to participate in education and we have links with colleges. Michael was selected for a DCU educational scholarship and received the DCU Milestone Award. Both he and his family attended an award service last December. He has applied through Hear (Higher Education Access Route) for his college place. We’ve done what we can to support him along the way but it is really down to him.

“Formal education is not a part of Traveller culture so he has had to work hard. Michael’s family are very supportive of him. Others aren’t so lucky. He’s a great role model for his younger brother and indeed for the Travelling community at large.”

A Noble cause Students meet Vietnamese teens

A group of students from Coláiste Dhúlaigh are travelling to Vietnam to visit teenagers who are being helped by the Christina Noble Foundation. Worldwise and Irish Aid have teamed up to link schools in the developed countries with their poorer counterparts. While the vast majority of Irish schools are linking with Africa, a group of girls in Coláiste Dhúlaigh TY have decided to go to Vietnam.

“I have been teaching Christina Noble’s autobiography in class for the last few years,” explains teacher June Coghlan. “I knew they would like it because Christina Noble is an ordinary woman from a poor background doing extraordinary work for the poor in Vietnam.”

This month, seven students travel to Vietnam with funding from Irish Aid. “We’ve been doing some of our own fundraising as well, though,” explains 15-year-old Grace Keegan. “We did a 24-hour fast, had a fashion show and did Christmas carolling. The money raised isn’t for the trip but we wanted to give the children some gifts when we go over.”

They have raised over €3,000 which has been spent on school and art supplies, tin whistles and a water well for a community in Ho Chi Minh City.

“We’ve also made a mural which says ‘Peace’ in Irish, English, French and Vietnamese,” says Rachel Lambe (16).

The immersion trip organised by Worldwise is part of a wider focus on social justice in the school. Peace and conflict, health issues and the environment are all looked at in TY and other years at Coláiste Dhúlaigh and guest speakers have been in to talk about the Vietnam war, the Northern Ireland conflict and the violence in Kenya.

“TY students will go to the Glencree centre for reconciliation when they return from Vietnam. They will do a day-long workshop about the effects of the Vietnam war and the Northern Ireland conflict,” says Coghlan.

But for now, it’s all about the trip to Vietnam. We’re really excited about going,” says Megan Brady (16). We’re even learning a bit of Vietnamese for the trip. “It’s much easier than Irish.”