Viewers hail Celebrity Big Brother winner Paddy Doherty for encouraging children to stay in school on Gypsy Kids

VIEWERS took to Twitter in their droves to praise Celebrity Big Brother winner Paddy Doherty for encouraging children to stay in school on Gypsy Kids: Our Secret Lives.

Those at home were shocked by some of the comments from the young girls who said they wanted to leave school aged 11 and stay home to clean and look after their homes.

However, when Paddy heard his eight-year-old granddaughter Margaret wanted to leave education after primary school, he encouraged her to stay with it.

He said: "Every child now has got to learn how to read and write, it's very important.

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"I don't care what creed of traveller you are but just because you can't read and write, it doesn't mean your child shouldn't read or write.

"They got to move with the times."

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Viewers were left reeling by the young girls' comments and were glad to see the My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding star taking a positive stance towards education.

One viewer wrote: "Major respect for Paddy wanted his daughter to stay in school."

Another added: "Fair play to Paddy for talking sense."

Speaking later, Paddy said the lives of children in his community have changed and he wants his grandchildren to stay in school and go on to third level education.

He said: "Education is so important now. Get your child to college because our way of life is dying out like dinosaurs."

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However, his granddaughter was determined to follow the path of the older girls and leave school in three years.

She said: "Being eight years old is good and bad, you have to mind your younger sister but you can't do what the older girls do.

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"I want to leave school at 11, I'm looking forward to doing my own thing.

"I'll probably help my mummy and then do a job like doing people's hair and their nails."

Gypsy Kids: Our Secret Lives continues next Thursday at 9pm on Channel 5.

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