There is a problem. No there isn’t
An opponent of academic selection, Prof Tony Gallagher, has criticised the lack of information about the new proposals for education:
“Potentially the greatest resource we have in our education system is our teachers, and we should be doing things to try to ensure that they have clarity on where things are going, so they can tell the parents who are lining up at their doors seeking clarity what’s going on,”
Catriona Ruane denies there is a problem:
“People right across the north understand exactly what’s happening here.”
“People right across the north understand exactly what’s happening here.”
No Catriona the people right across Northern Ireland do not know what is going on (apart from your incompetency) and that is why the same question is being asked time and time again.
“People right across the north understand exactly what’s happening here.”
How many people?
“People right across the north understand exactly what’s happening here.”
Yip, Incompetent terrorists still determined to make ‘the North’ ungovernable.
“The education minister added that she not prepared to “preside over education apartheid”.”
Faith and single sex schools are taboo? No single sex in the city academies?
So, what exactly is happening here? She seemed incapable of telling Wendy Austin this morning.
“People right across the north understand exactly what’s happening here.”
Like fuck they do.
I have two children in primary school. I am also on the schools board of govs and undertake regualar volunteer work at the school. In a previous professional incarnation i was involved in a number of research reports and journal papers on primary and secondary education. From all of the above, I would assume to be in a position to be au current with the proposals and next steps re selection.
Guess what? Like my colleagues on the board of govs, I haven’t an effing clue.
But the top prize for cluelessness goes to the education minister who has, once again, demonstrated her cynicism and contempt for students, teachers and parents by making the statement.
“People right across the north understand exactly what’s happening here.”
Politics at most levels involves some horse trading. Try this one on for size.
Swap Catriona for Martina Navratilova.
In a word Daisy – nothing.
Reason – it’s all themmuns fault.
What is happening? I dunno but her and Martina Anderson wear bright yellow jackets and both appear to be ineffectual, one says spelling isn’t important and the other cant spell it out to people; but sure opinion will fallback on sectional preference rather than failures at ministerial level to provide vision, belief in that change she wants and to prove to parents that she can deliver a better system.
“People right across the north understand exactly what’s happening here.”
I DON’T!
Even in the cess-pit that calls itself political thought here across the water the baying of a learned brief that Catriona allows as an interview would not be accepted, and the Minister would not be allowed to carry on as if she was a success.
She does not have an educational policy in any meaningful way that people can understand and in nowhere else other than the disjointed politics of Northern Ireland would she be allowed to carry on as a Minister.
Well maybe in RoI – Bertie didn’t remember such a lot for so long and managed to stay where he was like forever before he was found out!!!
She is getting away with educational murder and pretending that it is someone else’s fault that things are not happy.
Scotland went comprehensive in the 60′s without a great deal of problem.
There were just a few Directors of Education (19 I think) and they were got together in a room and told that this is what is going to happen.
It could not be done in a similar way in England as there were hundreds of Local Authorities and getting all their Directors of Education into one room would be the equivalent of a Large Public meeting, where in Scotland it was almost a large afternoon tea.
Things have moved on a lot since the 60′s and getting a simple policy developed in the vast metropolis is obviously too much for the present Minister who seems to not really understand any of the things she is repeating endlessly without pause to think of what she is about.
Let her take a job as a teacher for a few days and she might actually learn a bit about what she is failing to understand and get right for kids and parents.
This entire mess has been reduced to a blame game with the paradox of conspirators on the same side attacking each other. Does anyone think that the trotting out of superannuated socialist, Tony Gallagher is anything other than a cynical ploy to get the politicans to accept comprehensivisation.
Gallagher is the prime architect of the anti-selection lobby. He is permitted to maintain a detached “academic” perspective but it should be recalled that it was upon his advice that Ministers for Education adopted their policy.
What solution has Gallagher proposed over the years to replace the 11-plus? That the politicans and media fail to address this obvious issue makes his claiming to be concerned for parents and pupils the obvious insult it is intended to be.
Caitriona Brown.
Maybe Essentialist needs to take another look at the Burns Report – that sets out a fairly clear alternative to the 11 plus.
Or you could contact Prof G directly – according to the QUB website, he spoke last January at a seminar organised by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers on an alternative to academic selection. I’m sure he’d be happy to share with you his vision for a selection free future for our children.
Not being bestowed with legislative authority, Gallagher won’t be making the final decision on the 11 plus replacement. That’s the politician’s job, so let’s focus on them please?