Tired of waiting
Lumpen Lumen Christi, a top grammar school, has announced it will introduce its own aptitude test for prospective pupils because of the ongoing confusion about the post 11+ arrangements.
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The Earl Bishop
Interesting BBC article on an upcoming presentation and talk [Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre, 17 August] by lecturer and broadcaster Stephen Price on the subject of his new book – The Earl Bishop. The 18th Century ”Earl Bishop” was Frederick Augustus Hervey, fourth Earl of Bristol and Church of Ireland Bishop of Derry. Hervey was also elected [...] read our review »
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Have we Learned our own Lessons? Book Review of John Brewer’s Peace Processes
Northern Ireland’s peace process has been promoted as an international success story. The Republic’s Department of Foreign Affairs has its Conflict Resolution Unit, which aims to disseminate the ‘lessons’ of the Northern Ireland peace process. And some of the prominent players in our peace process have travelled abroad to other troubled spots to share their [...] read our review »
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Lessons in Cute Hoorism: “Graft was accepted, for you were taking from the British…”
I’ve been catching up on some reading, recently. Most pleasantly surprised by John Drennan’s latest opus from Gill and Macmillan, Cute Hoors and Pious Protestors… It’s early days yet, but I was struck by this paragraph, part of a dissection of Fianna Fail near the beginning: One of the more fatal consequences of our colonial [...] read our review »
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Lumpen Christi??
Is that where the Catholic Lumpenproletariat send their kids?
Not a Latin scholar, are you, fair deal?
‘Lumpen Christi’ is surely the school down the road for the thick kids..
LOL Apologies. Must have been chris moyles talking about the song Lump this morning.
Horseman
“Not a Latin scholar, are you, fair deal?”
I’ll have you know I got 89 in my last Latin exam ;-P (granted it was 20 years ago feck i’m getting old)
It will be interesting to see how they adapt their aptitude test for children with additional needs or deal with the inevitable appeals.
Interesting to hear how they intend to pay for it. Their Dept of Education budget certainly isn’t meant for it and I don’t think the church should be using money to support a minority view.
Exactly Mark. If any grammar school introduces its own selective test their funding should be cut, simple as.
I don’t think the church should be using money to support a minority view.
How did we establish that it was a minority view ?
Ms Wiz: If any grammar school introduces its own selective test their funding should be cut, simple as.
Why? Selection isn’t illegal, and if you want to change the rules you need to get cross party agreement in the Assembly. Alternatively, if you want to work from the other end of the chain, you need to get onto the school’s Board of Governors. Failing these options, who are you to make up the rules?
Or, hey – I can make up rules too: “If any grammar school refuses to introduce selection, they should rename themselves as a comprehensive.”
You’re right, what am I talking about. End selection and while we’re at it get rid of the grammars too. Throughout all Ruane’s posturing there’s been no proposals to end selection itself, therein lies the problem.
Ms Wiz: End selection and while we’re at it get rid of the grammars too.
There – you probably need to get to work on some sort of campaign to achieve that.
Ain’t that the truth…
Hi Ms Wiz,
“End selection and while we’re at it get rid of the grammars too.”
Why stop there? Scrap the schools, give everyone a First Class Hons in whatever subject they choose and ban employers from using any form of this evil selection. We’ll all be millionaires!
Communism failed. Get over it. We’re born unequal.
I hear on the grapvine that
Foyle and Londonderry and Sullivan Upper are also about to announce selection
“If any grammar school introduces its own selective test their funding should be cut, simple as.”
If academic selection was outlawed then perhaps, but it hasn’t been so funding will remain. Ruane confirmed such at a recent question time when she confirmed that threats about funding only applied to the test not the school.
Well done LC. It is a fantastic school with a national reputation for excellence. To sacrifice that level of achievement in order to satisfy a failed 1960′s dogma would have been criminal. I wonder what the local MP thinks. Or the DFM? More to the point this nails the lie that selection is only a unionist/ protestant issue. I trust LC has started a process which will see grammar schools from every sector moving to protect their ethos. And I trust our politicians will stand by them.
doh!
excellence
Ruane has failed again.
She wants to promote an agenda driven by party political views yet fails to bring forward a policy and plan to show how she can achieve this.
The ground work has been neglected and her edifice has crashed to the ground.
Those in education must find their own way for the benefit of children and can not sit around waiting for her to come up with some other fantasy or wish list in the absence of getting agreement.
“I trust LC has started a process which will see grammar schools from every sector moving to protect their ethos. And I trust our politicians will stand by them.”
Well the Alliance party are on record as having consistently opposed selection so its an interesting one there alright as I suspect this is not popular with a lot of potential Alliance voters.
And the SDLP are in the same position.
So I don’t expect politicians from these two parties to stand by the schools.
The danger is that the uncertainty will lead to a mish mash of entrance exams and a two or three tier Grammar school sector.
It is probably already too late. The only people who will gain are m’learned friends.
slug: So I don’t expect politicians from these two parties to stand by the schools.
Do you expect voters from those parties to boycott schools that retain some form of selection?
I don’t!
“Do you expect voters from those parties to boycott schools that retain some form of selection?”
Obviously not-the reverse.
slug
I know LC and their SDLP voting parents very well- if nationalist parents support selection I suspect some nationalist politicians share those views as well.
Hmm, rather embarressing for SF that the 1st school that decides to keep selection is a catholic grammer in stroke city… oh dear…
i work alongside a number of nationalists (non voters) who would have went to catholic grammers and are shocked by the removal of academic selection. I wonder just how many nationalists would like to see selection of some type kept and if there are decent numbers – why is their voice not being heard?
slug: Obviously not
I’m sorry I missed your point. However, as you pointed out, those parties do have a position on selection, and are surely going to have to either say something or be noticed for failing to do so. At a guess, both will simply accuse Ruane of incompetence, and try not to comment on the schools. This could be a good week to listen to the discussion programmes.
Reader
It will indeed be interesting. I can’t see how the politicians in SDLP and Alliance can suddenly change position and comment favourably on a school opting for it. I think you are right that they will say its a sign of Ruane making a mess and try to avoid drawing attention to their position.
Alliance + SDLP are against selection but I dare say they won’t go criticising the governors of excellent schools, schools trying to retain their academic standing. There is plenty of scope for political waffle over the issue from SDLP and Alliance.
My record as a pro-selection nationalist is well established on here.
No-other socio-political class owes its betterment to selection in the recent history than the much-expanded catholic/nationalist middle-classes.
How the SDLP managed to allow its leftist-thinking of the 1960′s to drag it into this policy position is beyond me, although the inlfuence the INTO has on drafting nationlist education policy would scare your granny more than Vatican II.