I’m a Traveler – This Is the Real Reason We Leave School at 13
A TRAVELER has revealed the real reason why girls in her community drop out of school at a young age.
Many Gypsies and Travellers do not attend secondary school at all, while others drop out at around the age of 13 or 14.
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Zoey used TikTok to explain why many Irish travelers don’t think it’s important to go to high school.
She said, “In our culture, we go to school to learn to read, write and spell.
“If we know those three things, we’re done with school.”
Zoey said she dropped out of school at age 13, while other girls she knows were taken out of school in elementary school.
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She said that traveling girls do not have to go to high school or college because they “will not work.”
“Our husbands take care of us,” she said.
“Just like in your culture, you have to take care of yourself.”
She said men in the traveller community go to work and use the money to give their wives “whatever we want”.
Therefore, she said, there is no point in women travelers going to high school, because “we don’t get anything out of it anyway.”
She added that even if she did want a job, she doesn’t think anyone would hire her because of the discrimination travelers face.
Zoey’s video, which was posted under the username @zoey_ponhas probably silenced many, as the video has already been viewed 111,000 times on the video platform.
TikTok users rushed to the video’s comments section to share their thoughts.
Someone said, “I’m not a traveler, but I wish I could leave school.”
Facts about Gypsy and Traveller communities
Normally, the term Gypsies is used for the Roma people who migrated to Europe from India, while the term Traveller refers to a person of Irish, Scottish or English ancestry.
It is estimated that there are around 300,000 Gypsies, Roma and Irish Travellers living in the UK.
All three groups live nomadically, but as it becomes increasingly difficult to find land to live on, many are moving to permanent housing.
They value family life highly and often continue to live close to each other even after they grow up and get married.
Often it is the men who take care of the family, while the women stay at home.
While many English gypsy girls are allowed to drink alcohol and go on holiday with their girlfriends before they get married, this is not the case for their Irish gypsy girls.
A second person said, “I was pulled out of school when I was 10.”
A third person said, “I know traveling girls who went to school and college and got jobs after college, so it really does happen!”
A fourth person added: “I know traveling girls who work for a living. Nothing stops you from learning and finding a job.”
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