
STEP hosted a national seminar in September to share research findings from a community consultation undertaken by STEP in 2022/23. The research captured community members’ experiences of education, views on the current system and suggestions for improvements. The seminar invited education stakeholders to engage with the findings with the aim of generating proposals for improved experiences for the communities within the current Scottish policy framework. Minster for Equalities at Scottish Government, Ms Kaukab Stewart gave opening remarks via video to launch the event. Valuable contributions were also made by Richard O’Neill, renowned author, storyteller and playwright, and school leaders and Gypsy/Traveller teachers in a ‘practice spotlight’ session. Participating stakeholders and partners included SQA, Education Scotland, GTC Scotland, DigiLearnScot and MECOPP. STEP has used seminar outcomes to inform the revised Gypsy Traveller Action Plan 2024-26 and plan next steps for improving education for the Gypsy/Traveller community. The research recommendations can be found on the STEP website.