Introduction

Travellers have been going to primary school in significant numbers since 1960, but educational provision for Travellers, particularly at second level, is beset with problems. In this chapter, the author investigates a key source of such problems - how ethnic identity and schooling interact. She outlines her rationale for choice of topic, the lacunae it fills in existing literature, and the theoretical framework she adopt. As the review of literature shows, Travellers and their relations with the majority society have been studied, and policies critiqued in general. Many argue that Travellers have historically engaged in resistance, and in popular and official discourse conflict about the place of Travellers in society is articulated so that policies are defeated but Travellers, though they survive, pay a price. Studies of Travellers and school focus on provision and take-up and on interviews with adult Travellers. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.