Travellers are marginalised within the education system. They experience racism and harassment in many forms. These are the conclusions of a report by Dublin's Southside Partnership Travellers' Interest Group (TIG) which was launched recently by President McAleese.

"Inappropriate cultural education, where Traveller culture is not mentioned within mainstream education and training . . . will have a negative effect on the personal development and education of a young person," according to the report.

The report looked into participation rates in second-level mainstream education by Travellers. It says that current "separate education structures for an ethnic group goes against the prevalent educational philosophy of providing an inclusive education system for all."

Travellers find mainstream school "very difficult because there is no support for them." The report explains that Traveller-only schools are very supportive of their culture, "but, due to their presence, there has been no pressure on the mainstream system to welcome, validate or work with Travellers."

Traveller-only schools "can act as a disincentive to access mainstream education and act as a safety valve for the mainstream education system, allowing it to avoid its responsibility for Travellers."

The TIG, an inter-agency group, was formed in 1997. It includes representatives from statutory, voluntary and community organisations who are working with or providing a service to Travellers. It set out to examine the major issues facing the Traveller community's participation in second-level education and training and to develop joint responses.

The group believes that current low participation will be addressed when "all sectors involved begin talking and listening to each other and coming up with joint, agreed responses."

The central argument against Traveller-only education, it says, is that young people are best served in the widest environment, with a full curriculum and as much choice as possible. It quotes the 1995 Task Force Report, which states that three-quarters of Travellers in the 12- to 15-year-old group who are in education are in Traveller-only provision.

Issues raised by service providers included the fact that Travellers need to be made aware that separate education is not all that is on offer. They should know that separate education and mainstream schools education are not the same. They need to be given a choice.