[Hum]

More than a thousand gipsy and traveller children have been given laptop computers to help them with their schoolwork.

The free equipment and wireless internet access is estimated to be worth up to ?750 per pupil, and is costing the taxpayer ?300,000 a year.

Some children are also being handed printers and digital cameras under a controversial Government-backed scheme aimed at encouraging them to stay in education.

Figures have revealed that free IT equipment has been handed to 1,317 pupils from gipsy and traveller families since 2004.

However, ministers have admitted that some of the laptops have been used by parents to buy and sell goods, and book foreign holidays online.

Last night, the Conservatives, who obtained the figures, warned that the scheme risked fuelling resentment among taxpayers. Only days ago it emerged that gipsy and traveller children are being given priority admission to popular state schools.

In addition, gipsy and traveller families are getting priority to see GPs and dentists.

The Electronic Learning and Mobility Programme (E-LAMP) is designed to offer 'quality distance learning opportunities' to gipsy and traveller children who regularly change schools and are on the move throughout large parts of the school year.

Under the scheme, being run in 330 schools, the children are given laptops with, for example, 3G wireless internet software, which enables them to study while travelling and keep in touch with their 'base' school.

There are an estimated one million children from around 350,000 gipsy and traveller families in the UK, but fewer than 9 per cent obtain five good GCSEs including maths and English.

Studies have shown that children who relocate regularly quickly become demotivated with learning and disengaged with their school friends and school life. In addition, many traveller parents provide little support for their children's academic learning, with a small number believing that formal education offers little or no value to their children's futures.

In a written Parliamentary answer, schools minister Jim Knight said 1,317 laptops were issued from 2004 to 2009. He said: 'The vast majority are still out on loan to the students. There have only been seven incidents of minor accidental damage. One laptop was sold by the family, but recovered quickly as it had been tagged.'

A survey by the National Association of Teachers of Travellers has found adult travellers are using their children's laptops to book holidays, shop and sell goods online.

It said: 'Initially the restriction on data transfer allowed, due to shared group tariff packages, caused issues when the students became more confident workers and their parents discovered the joys of Amazon, eBay and booking flights online.'

Tory local government spokesman Bob Neill said: 'However well-meaning, I am concerned the Government's policies on travellers threaten to undermine community cohesion and inflame community tensions.

'The British people believe in fair play - it's not fair that one small group get privileged access to public services, whilst hard-working families who struggle to pay their bills and taxes are pushed to the back of the queue.'

source

[Southern Patriot]

Sounds like Britain's own version of Afirmative Action.

[ZombieFly]

i started reading this, after the first paragraph my brain had identified the source without actually looking. Unfortunately as it's come from the daily mail, the entire story is most likely overblown sensationalist tabloid effluent.

[Azusa]

Why bother they already have a laptop each....well maybe three or four.

[ZombieFly]

'The British people believe in fair play - it's not fair that one small group get privileged access to public services, whilst hard-working families who struggle to pay their bills and taxes are pushed to the back of the queue.'

Noooo! that's not right. It's not fair play we believe in, it's social elitism! "he has, I want, give me" is the policy here. It's all about selfish individualism, it's certainly not about fair play. If it was about fair play then the recent story of the residents of a housing estate "invaded" by travellers who'd camped down their street would NOT have been as ugly as it was, instead a blissful utopia as the two walks of life enjoyed each others ways and lifestyles ;) LOL

"I'M NOT HAVING THAT SCUM LIVING ON OUR PATCH" does not translate to "Billy, pass me your laptop, we're donating it to Seamus in the caravan up the road so he can have a better education" :D

The British, even we don't know who we are anymore... We silently protest about the government bailing out the banks, we silently protest again when the bosses get giant retirement packages, we silently protest again while the ministers claim expenses for everything under the sun, paid directly from our money. But hey, give a laptop to a child to help educate them and maybe get them out of their travelling lifestyle "STOOOOOOOP!" I WANT I WANT I WANT.

fking place, does my head in.

[Max Veteran]

This is crap.

The gypsies I knew drive nearly-new BMW's. If they can afford that, then a few hundred quid for a laptop isn't going to break the bank. They're richer than everyone thinks they are.

[Azusa]

This is crap.

The gypsies I knew drive nearly-new BMW's. If they can afford that, then a few hundred quid for a laptop isn't going to break the bank. They're richer than everyone thinks they are.

You think they bought them?

[what]

Pikeys aren't poor, they just don't spend anything. I'm surprised any of them go to school in the first place.

[thealexweb]

They don't pay council tax so in my view there not even entitled to use the roads, this is outrageous.

[Comic Book Guy]

Okay, I know what the Gypsy are, but what are "travellers", I've never heard of that before?

[lee31]

Okay, I know what the Gypsy are, but what are "travellers", I've never heard of that before?

That's the PC term for a gypsy.

[leesmithg]

Pikeys aren't poor, they just don't spend anything. I'm surprised any of them go to school in the first place.

True they aren't.

I see them pull up at ASDA in their 4x4's, or BMW's and even Mercedes Benz cars.

They don't work, they spend a lot of time abroad and they certainly won't admit to stashing their loot in a kids account.

From the story, parents have used the laptops to book foreign holidays.

Interesting we don't get a free laptop, I built our system and we can't afford a holiday, nor will be able to book one for next 5 years.

I know why this has come out, conservatives trying to get brownie points and show what labour is.

However, under a conservative government they allowed Gipsy families to migrate to England (mainly) build them sites and fund them

quite happily and the E.I.R.E. government were glad to see the back of em.

Anyone else that comes here for a free ride is either an asylum seeker or an illegal immigrant.

So this is like the expression, 'pot calling the kettle black'.

They are all as bad as each other these politicians except the current ones in power are the worst.

[Comic Book Guy]

That's the PC term for a gypsy.

If that was the case, then the following would not have been used in the article:

'from gipsy and traveller families'

Notice, they are talking about two different groups.

[carmatic]

If that was the case, then the following would not have been used in the article:

'from gipsy and traveller families'

Notice, they are talking about two different groups.

'gipsy' refers to a particular ethnic group, a 'traveller' is someone who has adopted the lifestyle

[Comic Book Guy]

'gipsy' refers to a particular ethnic group, a 'traveller' is someone who has adopted the lifestyle

So, then 'travller' would refer to a group like the Pavee (Irish Traveller).

[what]

True they aren't.

I see them pull up at ASDA in their 4x4's, or BMW's and even Mercedes Benz cars.

They don't work, they spend a lot of time abroad and they certainly won't admit to stashing their loot in a kids account.

From the story, parents have used the laptops to book foreign holidays.

Interesting we don't get a free laptop, I built our system and we can't afford a holiday, nor will be able to book one for next 5 years.

I know why this has come out, conservatives trying to get brownie points and show what labour is.

However, under a conservative government they allowed Gipsy families to migrate to England (mainly) build them sites and fund them

quite happily and the E.I.R.E. government were glad to see the back of em.

Anyone else that comes here for a free ride is either an asylum seeker or an illegal immigrant.

So this is like the expression, 'pot calling the kettle black'.

They are all as bad as each other these politicians except the current ones in power are the worst.

Off topic, but wow, Kings Hill. Hello from Barming! :p

[master2k27]

They don't pay council tax so in my view there not even entitled to use the roads, this is outrageous.

YES!

[Panacik]

To clear it up:

Traveller - Irish decendants

Gypsys - Romainian decendants

Both are kind of mixed in to the same group today and i dont believe there are many Romanian gypsy decendants living in the UK now, but with Romania joining the EU, Romanian gypsies have started to come in to the UK.

In Slovakia there are LOTS of Romanian gypsies and they are very unliked, because they are seen as theivs etc.

[Comic Book Guy]

To clear it up:

Traveller - Irish decendants

Gypsys - Romainian decendants

Both are kind of mixed in to the same group today and i dont believe there are many Romanian gypsy decendants living in the UK now, but with Romania joining the EU, Romanian gypsies have started to come in to the UK.

In Slovakia there are LOTS of Romanian gypsies and they are very unliked, because they are seen as theivs etc.

You may want to go and redo your history lessons, as the Gypsies are not from Romania, just because they call themselves the Roma (as well as Romani) does not make them Romanian. You can trace the Romani (ie: Gypsy) origins back to medieval India.

Edited July 29, 2009 by Comic Book Guy

[Azusa]

To clear it up:

Traveller - Irish decendants

Gypsys - Romainian decendants

Both are kind of mixed in to the same group today and i dont believe there are many Romanian gypsy decendants living in the UK now, but with Romania joining the EU, Romanian gypsies have started to come in to the UK.

In Slovakia there are LOTS of Romanian gypsies and they are very unliked, because they are seen as theivs etc.

No Gypsys originally came from Egypt.

[Comic Book Guy]

No Gypsys originally came from Egypt.

No, they didn't. Read the post above yours.

[leesmithg]

Off topic, but wow, Kings Hill. Hello from Barming! :p

Sup!

Number 7 bus ride away.

Anyway, when all those Romanian Gipsies came to Brixton when I was there, all they did was beg, steal, harras and try sell stolen goods.

I can see why Romania was glad to see the back of them.

Then non-gipsies do that too, however not the same ratio.

I can see why the good people of Northern Ireland had problems with them.

[Lannister]

They don't pay council tax so in my view there not even entitled to use the roads, this is outrageous.

They pay sod all, and when they leave the land they've illegally been squatting on, all they leave is a huge clean-up bill for the local council.

Every time Travellers/Gypsies/Whatever-you-want-to-call-them came around the town (and businesses car parks) in the town that I lived in in England, they left if looking like a s***hole afterwards.

[mikeyboi]

Sup!

Number 7 bus ride away.

Anyway, when all those Romanian Gipsies came to Brixton when I was there, all they did was beg, steal, harras and try sell stolen goods.

I can see why Romania was glad to see the back of them.

Then non-gipsies do that too, however not the same ratio.

I can see why the good people of Northern Ireland had problems with them.

Same thing is happening here in Glasgow, in the past 3 years there has been an influx of around 2000 - 3000 roma from Slovakia to the govanhill area, it has been a knightmare with the same type of problems as described above.

most of there kids don't attend school and can be found running around the streets and on one occasion me and my better half witnessed one of the kids (about 11 years old) doing the toilet in the road. On the street i live 3 family's lived in a 1 bedroom flat and it took the whole building to complain about the noise / rubbish and general bad behaviour to get them evicted.

In the other streets they don't use the provided bins and just dump there household waste in the street (in bags) and this just makes the area look even more run down that it already is.

I can also see why the people of Northern Ireland had issues with them.

I don't mind people coming to the country to try and make a better life for there family, but these people don't want to change there ways hence where ever they settle the get the same reaction from the locals.

[lee31]

To clear it up:

Traveller - Irish decendants

Gypsys - Romainian decendants

Both are kind of mixed in to the same group today and i dont believe there are many Romanian gypsy decendants living in the UK now, but with Romania joining the EU, Romanian gypsies have started to come in to the UK.

In Slovakia there are LOTS of Romanian gypsies and they are very unliked, because they are seen as theivs etc.

Where's your proof?

Oh by the way your wrong.

Edited July 29, 2009 by lee26