“The minister believes she can build a consensus of support for her proposals..”
Ken Reid’s UTV News report below contains some scenes from the confrontation at the Assembly’s Education Committee meeting, as commented on by Mick here, but beyond that confrontation there is a declaration from the Education minister, Sinn Féin’s Caitriona Ruane, that she will not be proposing the ‘Craigavon model’ because it includes academic selection at 14. The Minister also declares that her proposals do not include any selection at any age. Which may be noteworthy for the Finance minister.. and not just for any suggested cost-neutralness. The Belfast Telegraph’s Education Correspondent, Kathryn Torney, gives an eye-witness report. And in related news, the Belfast Telegraph also reports that the UUP’s Basil McCrea has said that if the Minister does not disclose information on her confidential meetings about plans to replace the 11-plus with a system of transfer at the age of 14, or does not agree to meet the Committee in private session, then he “will press for a vote of no confidence to be taken by the Assembly and would hope to obtain the committee’s support for this.”
It’s also worth noting that the confrontation was almost guaranteed by build-up to the meeting, as described by Committee Chair, the DUP’s Sammy Wilson.
After her statement to the Assembly on December 11 2007 there was even greater confusion on the issue.
The committee posed 30 questions to her for clarification but no answers came.
We requested a meeting and eventually, through the intervention of the two Sinn Fein members of the committee, were granted a one hour meeting.
All members had hoped for a constructive engagement instead we got a farce which left everyone apart from the Sinn Fein members fuming.
The members were given a paper at the start of the meeting with her responses to the questions posed to her, leaving them no time to study it.
Those question, set by the Committee for the minister to answer, had initially been responded to with a “not possible” from the minister.
Meanwhile, as reported here..
A spokesman for the Minister said: “As the Minister has made clear – the last Transfer Test will take place in 2008. That is irreversible.
“In terms of the full range of the proposals for the future of post-primary education outlined, there will be a legislative basis for these proposals as appropriate (the Minister stated her intention, for instance, to bring forward admissions criteria regulations).
“This legislative basis will, of course, be established by proper consultative and legislative procedures.”
He added: “The minister believes she can build a consensus of support for her proposals and we are working to achieve that.”
I think she’s a good minister. This confrontational performance didnt do much for the reputations of anyone in the room. But the days of unionists simply bullying anyone they dont like are over. She is entirely within her rights to act how she did – the committee need to act with a little more humility as well.
If education is such a key issue for the unionist parties, why didn’t the DUP request that portfolio? They knew what SF would do with the post if they were to get it and yet let the Shinners take it.
What time does the Minister normally get up, given that she clearly considered having to get out of bed at 6.30am a cruel and unusual punishment.
I don’t give two hoots what Caitriona Ruane wears, how she presents herself in the assembly , as long as she get rid of the 11-plus. Academic selection of primary school children is intricately evil, and is nothing more than a form of apartheid. The biggest losers in this form of apartheid is the children from working class homes. If the reverse was the case and children from middle class homes were the losers, the same people ranting on about the minister attire etc, would be up in arms. Working class people for the first time in N.Ireland history, have a political party now, with some power to do something real about the evil selection procedure of young children, which is engineered so the middle classes can have the best school for their own. These middle class twats, are the same clowns you see week in week out in one section of the media or another ranting on about alleged human rights abuses ,in some far of land , whilst their own children take advantage of one of the biggest human right abuses in the history of the state of N. reland.
If education is such a key issue for the unionist parties, why didn’t the DUP request that portfolio? They knew what SF would do with the post if they were to get it and yet let the Shinners take it.
Bang on the money.
Plug at Education and Cat at Culture.
sorted.
Sean
Do you really think that the minster’s performance enhanced the prospects for the abolition of selection?
No matter what your views on selection you do not behave in that manner if you want to get agreement and as for dress actually it is important. It shows respect for those you are working with and your office. You may strongly disagree with people but you have to show respect to them and dress and attitude are part of that. That is the convention.
SEAN
Academic selection of primary school children is intricately evil, and is nothing more than a form of apartheid.
Academic selection is evil, but selection by parental wealth is not?
Apartheid based on educational ability is evil, but apartheid based on parental religious affiliation is not?
As a parent with children in primary school I find this lack of detail from the minister very worrying. What is going to determine which school my child goes to? Its very unclear and making me very anxious as the nearest secondary school is quite poor in terms of academic standards.
But seriously, a yella raincoat?
A question for the 11+
Go to the last line of the minister’s statement and spot the punctuation mistake.
It’s not hard to spot.