Traveller children and PSHE

[simpleyellowshoes]

Year 4 learnt about puberty and loving relationships this week. Why were the traveller children removed?

Hi op I'm romany gypsy.
Not traveller they are different.
But they share the same morals with regards to sex and all of those things .
Very very strict is all I can say and tend to marry others in the same community or cousins.
Hence why I ran away at 15 and have never ever been with a gypsy or traveller and would not except at all one of my children with one .
They are a breed and law unto themselves.
The men treat their women like dirt .

@simpleyellowshoes

Did you fill in a consent form?

@Peachyqueen

Not really any of your business, is it?

I'm staff, so it is relevant for me to have some understanding of this.

The op is right to ask why. She can then impart the information to her own children.

The children may already be gossiping and whispering as to why some of their classmates were not allowed to attend and being told why may stop idle chit chat.

If we don’t know, we ask.

Nothing ‘goady’ (ghastly term) about this thread at all.

[quote Mydarlingmyhamburger]@TurquoiseLemur this is exactly it. I was married to one for 6 years and spent just under 2 living on the site. I left after an accidental pregnancy which I miscarried. As horrible as it sounds I was grateful for the miscarriage as it meant I wouldn’t have to raise a girl in that lifestyle. I’d rather break up my marriage than raise a child the way I’d be expected to.[/quote]
I'm sorry you went through all of that.

Abuse and DV are abuse and DV whoever is doing it. When it's brushed aside because of "culture", it is the victims of abuse and DV whom we are throwing under the bus.

I understand why many parents don’t consent to these types of things but it does annoy me and I often wish it was compulsory as you often find the ones being removed are the ones who need it the most.

If you're staff, ask them?

I'm from a traveller background but was adopted out of it aged 11.
Would second what other posters have said that it will likely be partly due to Catholic beliefs, but also a distrust of non travellers. It IS an incredibly patriarchal culture and, if they're being brought up anything like I was, lessons on mutually respectful and healthy relationships aren't going to be compatible to what they see at home.
Catholicism, in my family, was picked up as and when it suited. It may be the official reason given but, considering that this isn't actually sex ed, that's unlikely to be the main motivator.

If you're staff, you would be better off asking for some diversity training or discussing this with a more experienced colleague.

I don't think it's appropriate to necessarily discuss this on a public forum.

If you are teaching Pshe then you should have some understanding of why people may withdraw their children.

Hi there,

I am from the travelling community, I attended both primary/secondary school and was not excused from pshe but I suppose religious grounds would have been the reasoning for those children. They would have received info re puberty etc from parents instead though and would not been left ignorant to the changes happening to their bodies.

Oh come on, if you're staff, teaching travellers then of course you know why they were withdrawn. To pretend you do not is totally disingenuous.

@toocold54

I understand why many parents don’t consent to these types of things but it does annoy me and I often wish it was compulsory as you often find the ones being removed are the ones who need it the most.

Absolutely.

If puberty, relationships, etc had been left to my parents to explain, I'd have grown up knowing nothing. As it was, finding out about periods aged 10 (I started when I was 11) from a complete stranger at school (the community nurse) when my parents had said absolutely nothing about it was traumatic enough.

It should be compulsory. Knowing these things is an essential life skill. If parents are too embarrassed and/or neurotic to discuss it with their children, it shouldn't be the children who are left to cope with the consequences of that.

@TheSpottedZebra

Oh come on, if you're staff, teaching travellers then of course you know why they were withdrawn. To pretend you do not is totally disingenuous.

No, I don't know. I'm a TA.

@Missinglinker

I'm from a traveller background but was adopted out of it aged 11. Would second what other posters have said that it will likely be partly due to Catholic beliefs, but also a distrust of non travellers. It IS an incredibly patriarchal culture and, if they're being brought up anything like I was, lessons on mutually respectful and healthy relationships aren't going to be compatible to what they see at home. Catholicism, in my family, was picked up as and when it suited. It may be the official reason given but, considering that this isn't actually sex ed, that's unlikely to be the main motivator.

Thanks - this is helpful as I wasn't aware that being Catholic is part of it.

I’m a traveller so can probably give abit insight into this I would say with 99% certainty it will be cultural reasons not religious For travellers and gypsies woman and men do not talk about sex, puberty or sex Health together unless husband and wife if these classes where divided to boys in one class and girls in another then permission would more then likely be granted this obviously is not an option for schools as both sexes need to learn and understand these things but that will simply be the reasoning behind it I’m not saying it’s right but it is truly just a cultural thing, although they will learn about sex , health and puberty girls from their mothers aunts and grans boys from fathers and uncles , I myself did not attend school at all but I have chosen to put my children to school as I believe it is the way forward even for travellers and gypsies.

@Postapocalypticcowgirl

If you're staff, you would be better off asking for some diversity training or discussing this with a more experienced colleague.

I don't think it's appropriate to necessarily discuss this on a public forum.

If you are teaching Pshe then you should have some understanding of why people may withdraw their children.

Easier said than done because of bubbles and masks at the moment.

@Docsmix

If you're staff, ask them?

It would be inappropriate for me to ask them.

*If puberty, relationships, etc had been left to my parents to explain, I'd have grown up knowing nothing. As it was, finding out about periods aged 10 (I started when I was 11) from a complete stranger at school (the community nurse) when my parents had said absolutely nothing about it was traumatic enough.

@TurquoiseLemur*

This is compulsory now since September 2020.

The only part that children can be withdrawn from is a very small part of the curriculum relating directly to sex.
Periods, puberty, body part names, changes, relationships..... all of this is now compulsory as it's covered either by the Science curriculum or PSHE.

If you’re delivering it and you don’t know why I might withdraw my kids tbh

@CrumpetsForAll

If you’re delivering it and you don’t know why I might withdraw my kids tbh

Hahaha! No I'm a TA

No, I don't know. I'm a TA.

Then you don’t need to know.

they aren’t being educated at home

You don’t know that. Home education doesn’t need to follow the curriculum that you deem as education.

if these classes where divided to boys in one class and girls in another then permission would more then likely be granted this obviously is not an option for schools as both sexes need to learn and understand these things

In our school, classes are split for these subjects. They are taught the same stuff but in separate groups.

Also not all travellers are catholic. I'm not.

@GeorgeandHarold66

*If puberty, relationships, etc had been left to my parents to explain, I'd have grown up knowing nothing. As it was, finding out about periods aged 10 (I started when I was 11) from a complete stranger at school (the community nurse) when my parents had said absolutely nothing about it was traumatic enough.

*@TurquoiseLemur**

This is compulsory now since September 2020.

The only part that children can be withdrawn from is a very small part of the curriculum relating directly to sex.
Periods, puberty, body part names, changes, relationships..... all of this is now compulsory as it's covered either by the Science curriculum or PSHE.

High time.

The religious lobby and others have for far too long been given a sympathetic ear by policy-makers. The wellbeing of children and teenagers needs to come first.