Abstract
It is well established that schools can be hostile and frightening places for children of ethnic minorities (see for example Garcia, 1999; Partington, 1998; Troyna, 1993). While debate continues about the enduring links between formal education and racism, most commentators agree that schools generally function as agents of the state in reproducing the dominant culture (Bourdieu &
Passeron, 1977), which is almost by definition opposed to the existence and expression of minority cultures. All of this suggests that when government policy is directed explicitly at 'improving' schools, it might be considered reasonable to expect that this 'improvement' will lead to some positive changes in the educational experiences and opportunities of ethnic minorities.
This paper demonstrates that such an assumption is a fallacy, certainly in relation to the particular ethnic minority considered here: Travellers.