For most young Gypsies and Travellers, discrimination is an everyday issue. Whether they are popping into a shop, or just hanging around with friends, they are often treated with derision and suspicion. Karen Carrick, a development worker at Save the Children in Scotland, says research shows nine out of 10 young people have experienced discrimination. "Often it's on a daily basis," she says.
School's out
Ofsted estimates that in England there are about 12,000 secondary school-aged Gypsies and Travellers not registered at school. They are also among the ethnic groups most likely to struggle at school. According to the Department for Education and Skills' figures for 2005, 33 per cent of Irish Traveller pupils and 22 per cent of Gypsy pupils did not sit their Key Stage 3 English exams by the time they were 14, compared with a national average of four per cent.
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