ASTI President Catherine Fitzpatrick has called for improvements in support for education among Traveller children.

Fitzpatrick said: "Less than 20 per cent of 12- to 15-year-old Traveller children attend second level, and of those who do most leave the education system within two years.

"The challenge is to make education accessible and meaningful to young Travellers."

Fitzpatrick was speaking in Dublin at an ASTI seminar, "Promoting Inclusion for Travellers in Schools". The system must address issues such as "Traveller mobility and school attendance, teaching methodology and the involvement of Traveller parents in their children's education", she said. The union has called for more visiting teachers, training for second-level teachers in Traveller and intercultural education and extra home-school liaison teachers.

The ASTI president stressed that the State's response to the needs of Traveller children extended beyond the education system: "Adequate accommodation, access to family support services and a need to feel included in the community also influence the educational attainment of Traveller children."