The ‘darkest day’ school controversy. Is there a tension between those who stayed in NI and those who left?

The latest headline in the culture war this week was the ‘darkest day’ school controversy. Dalriada Grammar School had hit the headlines because a teacher had reportedly pinned a ‘darkest day’ poster onto a notice board. This then became a ‘tug-of-rip down’ match between liberal pupils and a conservative scripture union teacher – so the simple narrative goes.

On Nolan the inevitable debate began; one side was the liberal commentator (not arguing for censorship apparently) who argued that a school should be a safe space and that a teacher’s place was not to be so political especially with a slogan which engendered many distasteful images online. On the other side of the ring was the head of the evangelical alliance (who on Monday surprisingly announced that ‘society had moved on from SSM,’ but that Abortion must be stopped). He spoke about how free expression at the school was being undermined and how the underlying issue of abortion was important to many people in NI.

What intrigued me most, while listening to this at my desk, was his (thinly veiled) derogatory description of those who wrote a letter in protest of the teacher. According to young Christian leader, a pro-choice activist in ‘London’ (said with an anti-cosmopolitan sneer) had led to the organisation of those who supported the letter – making up a collection of school alumni, pupils and the wider school community.

I think this debate exposes a serious fault line in NI society and perhaps is an underlying of our culture war here (as much as there actually is one). Is there a tension between those who stayed in NI and those who left? Why did it take an activist in London to gather up the Dalriad’s (mostly I presume either studying at Redbricks or working overseas) to oppose the actions of this teacher?

In the socially conservative circles of the Evangelical Alliance you will not find public spokes people who have had long experience outside ‘ulster’s rocky shores.’ Added to this is the sense of moral superiority present among many of these people, some feel as though they ‘stuck it out’ during the troubles and the economic turmoil then and now.

Northern Ireland remains a high export hub for young and old talent alike. We still accept it that this should be normal and it only gets secondary consideration in political debates. I think this is sad, and I think that the moral superiority of those who stay is even sadder. It won’t help the situation, however the other “side” of this nasty coin. This is the equally sneering émigré who use phrases such as ‘back water’ when describing the illiberal attitudes in their home place.

None of this is in fact unique to us, other European states have normalised the export of their people while conservative and illiberal attitudes have flourished. Ivan Krastev and Stephen Holmes wrote a long piece in the Guardian about why in particular eastern European states where becoming illiberal in the 30 years since the end of communism. They noted that:

“It is telling that liberal parties perform best among voters who cast their ballots abroad. In 2014, for example, Klaus Iohannis, a liberal-minded ethnic German, was elected president of Romania because the 300,000 Romanians living overseas voted massively in his favour. In a country where the majority of young people yearn to leave, the very fact that you have remained, regardless of how well you are doing, makes you feel like a loser. [emphasis added]

Speaking for myself, I have noticed this attitude in some who left NI at an especially younger age. As much as there is a distrust at those who left, there can sometimes be a metropolitan arrogance at those who stay. None of this needs to be inevitable, we are increasingly becoming diverse in our social attitudes and some day perhaps the educated for export market will dry up.

For now we are an emigration society, yet like the eastern European societies we have failed to realise this politically and continue to vote for illiberal demagoguery. It is telling that our progress comes from above at Westminster while there’s comes from Brussels. We have a lot to learn, but lets not judge those who leave or stay after they’ve learned it….

Photo by Olya /Voloshka is licensed under CC0

Jay Burbank

Jay is a Derry native now living in south Antrim and working in Belfast. His writing spans Law, Economics and International relations.

*He writes in a strictly personal capacity*