Friday, March 14, 2008
Ruane moves?
Despite turning down the option of an Executive Committee to look at the issue of selection, the Belfast Telegraph says multi-party talks are ongoing around the issue. It claims the Education Minister may be to willing to concede continuing academic selection but only as a temporary measure.
Fair Deal @ 02:39 PM
Maybe willing to concede?
When you realise the dumptruck load of shite is starting to reverse towards you and lift the trailer....
When you realise that accusing unionists of being ‘afraid of change’ and accusing the media of ‘scaremongering’ is no substitute for having a clue as to what you’re actually going to do....
When you realise that parents are terrified of an educational black hole in 18 months and they won’t swallow your platitudes of ‘you’ll know in good time’....
When you realise that your political career is in the shitter and your bearded Godfather has too many of his own problems to worry about to rescue you....
When you realise that your dogma blinds you to the point that you can’t exercise even the most basic social and political skills to build consensus....
Then perhaps you look for a way out?
I pray nightly that the engine gets revved, the trailer is full and gets lifted high!
Posted by on Mar 14, 2008 @ 02:57 PMFINALLY!!!!! THE BRAKES COME ON.
Posted by on Mar 14, 2008 @ 03:52 PMDamn,
when I first saw this thread I thought it meant “moved” as in “moved out of Education”
Well, we live in hope
Posted by on Mar 14, 2008 @ 04:06 PMGiven the proposed change in policy will SF be demanding, and will the Department carry out, an Equality Impact Assessment?
Oh yeah, how long is ‘temporary’?
Posted by on Mar 14, 2008 @ 04:19 PMlamh dearg
when I first saw this thread I thought it meant “moved” as in “moved out of Education”
Well, we live in hope
You and me alike. I thought at last some sense has prevailed, perhaps someone with ability on this issue will have this important role. But no no no more of the same.
Hogan
I am willing to hire the dump truck. Can’t have you suffering.
Posted by on Mar 14, 2008 @ 04:34 PMHad to laugh at Basil McCrae’s contribution in the Tele apparently he was the one that broke the “logjam” because he spoke to the DFM. The arrogance of the man!
It had nothing to do with all of the Party’s putting pressure on the woman. Internal party pressure. Parents and schools being left in the dark and demanding answers and a fudged policy being shown up for what it was. Nope it was all Basil.
Posted by on Mar 14, 2008 @ 05:55 PMIt’s turning into farce.
McCrea might be a bit of an ego maniac, but it looks like he is right on this one - the DFM has obviously put pressure on Ruane to wind her neck in.
Given her absolute failure to deliver the single landmark SF policy on education and the obvious lack of confidence in her by her boss, surely she can’t be long for this parish?
Posted by on Mar 14, 2008 @ 06:01 PMThe pressure has been building on Ruane for months. It is not feasible to put in place a new education system in the time she has allowed. McCrae had nothing to do with this it’s just his ego gone wild. Are we really expected to believe that a word from a first time MLA from the UUP would have this effect? The real pressure on this issue has come from within the Executive and from all the members of the Education committee (barring the Shinners who couldn’t formulate a thought of their own and desperately try to cover the back of their Minister at every turn). Does Basil expect us to believe that he is the only one who has expressed concerns? It’s incredible!
Posted by on Mar 14, 2008 @ 06:15 PMHoorah!! About bloody time. Wonder if she took advice from a legal beagle who told her she was living in cloud-cuckoo land. Maybe she’ll go back to Colombia now, after all they could do with someone that incompetent to help FARC
Posted by on Mar 14, 2008 @ 07:33 PMBasil McCrea is a fool of a man - that should come as no surprise to anyone.
Yes the pressure has been coming on Ruane, but its been coming for a long, long time. She’s been on a slow u-turn on the issue for many many weeks now if not several months.
Why do you think she told the Ard Feis that SF “delivered on their commitment to abolish the 11+”. That wasn’t the SF committment and everyone but the thickest of provo bogtrotters knows it. She’s been slowly acclimatising the republican base to the fact that she and they failed to get rid of academic selection.
If Basil the bouncing bog brush McCrea thinks now that he got rid of it I think we should all let him carry on thinking that until the nice nurse comes along to give him his medication.......
Posted by on Mar 14, 2008 @ 09:45 PM“Oh yeah, how long is ‘temporary’?”
Perhaps as long as a cessation?
Posted by on Mar 14, 2008 @ 09:46 PMI personally think that Ruane has done the impossible, sonething no-one before her has ever done. She has managed to unite the DUP, UUP, SDLP Alliance Party, Green Party, basically everyone who isn’t in Sinn Fein, against her dreadful mis-management and gross incompetance. They may not agree on my up on that hill, but they all agree that Minister Ruin has to go and go soon.
Posted by on Mar 15, 2008 @ 12:16 AMNot so long ago this thread would have had many SF supporters in there supporting the minister through thick and thin, claiming she was indeed a rear talent and an expert strategist. None now. Is this significant?
Has the party decided to throw her to the wolves or simply let her drown. Do they now regard her as a liability?
Posted by on Mar 15, 2008 @ 04:35 AMStill, it is amazing how robust this peace process is. The DFM is nobody’s fool and the good relationship with the FM has enabled the sensible pragmatists to expose and remove the grandstanders.
What is now needed is a hard working Sinn Fein Minister of Education who can master their brief and their committee and create a fairer system which still enables excellence.
The great thing is that the quality of teaching and schools in Northern Ireland is so high. Our MLAs on the other hand........
Posted by on Mar 15, 2008 @ 12:02 PMFor a ‘fool of a man’, Basil McCrea doesn’t half get some coverage. Which is actually quite clever…
Of course, we all know it was really Trevor Lunn wot dunnit. To be fair, he did say as much in the Tele about six weeks ago.
The Alliance Party also predicted the Victims’ Commissioners farce.
Must check the party membership list to see if Nostradamus is on there.
Posted by on Mar 16, 2008 @ 12:30 AM
