Gipsies month may be on way for pupils

Every school in one Black Country borough will have to celebrate "gipsy and traveller history month" from next year if an influential body of councillors gets its way.

Sandwell Council's Equality and Diversity Scrutiny Panel has made a list of 23 recommendations for the local authority to consider in or-der to prevent discrimination against nomadic communities. It follows concerns that gipsies were being discriminated against if they were not moved out of houses and back into caravans.

Sandwell Council has been told the borough has a high number of gipsies living in "bricks and mortar accommodation", particularly in Tipton.

No official figures exist for how many gipsies or travellers there are in Sandwell because of their nomadic lifestyles, according to a report to the panel.

The move has cross party support because the scrutiny panel is made up of Labour, Tory and Liberal Democrat councillors.

Among the recommendations put forward to the council are protocols to make sure that unauthorised camps are only moved on following health and education assessments.

A booklet on the inequalities faced by gipsies and travellers and their culture could also be produced for healthcare and social care professionals as well as a 'myth busting' leaflet to be sent out to homes across the borough.

Cultural awareness training could also be made compulsory for anyone in regular, direct contact with gipsies or travellers.

The recommendations also state that the panel wants "each school in Sandwell to positively mark gipsy and traveller history month in 2010 and subsequent years" and that each of the six towns should "proactively run events to celebrate" it.

Chairman of the panel, Councillor Bawa Singh Dhallu, said: "These are recommendations that will now go to the council's cabinet to consider later this summer."