Education – Page 15 – Slugger O'Toole

“requesting information on the Order..”

Pete Baker on September 28, 2008, 2:41 am

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Obviously it’s good news to hear that Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams has attempted to learn what the Orange Order’s actually traditions are by writing, some months ago, to Orange Grand Master Roberts Saulters requesting information on the Order – and it’s also good news that the Order has just met in the Republic of Ireland for the first time since partition. According to the BBC report, “Mr Saulters said he had replied, sending Mr Adams some literature on the …

“continue to have the interests of all of our pupils and parents at heart”

Pete Baker on September 26, 2008, 9:43 pm

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The principal of St Colm’s High School, Twinbrook, Imelda Jordan, has rejected the criticism from local Sinn Féin councillor Sam Baker [no relation] of the visit to the school by three Royal Navy officers, presumbaly from the Navy’s Royal Marines Visiblity Team, who took part in a team-building and leadership event – criticism which, I’d suggest, was the political equivalent of a scene pod scream from 1978 sci-fi paranoia classic Invasion of the Body Snatchers. From the statement Cllr Sam …

“scientific falsehoods being purveyed in the name of religion.”

Pete Baker on August 6, 2008, 3:12 pm

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I had suggested that the elevation of DUP MLA Mervyn Storey to Chairman of the Assembly’s Education Committee could see “more skirmishes ahead in the battle against The Un-Enlightenment.” And Lo! It came to pass.. The NewsLetter today carries his comments on his “personal” belief that “Creationism is not for the RE class because I believe that it can stand scientific scrutiny and that is a debate which I am quite happy to encourage and be part of. The issue …

“just another stake in a game of sectarian poker..”

Pete Baker on August 3, 2008, 10:48 pm

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UUP leader Reg Empey is predicting an autumn summit to try to address the issues bundled together with the one issue he has identified as being at the core of the Northern Ireland Executive power vacuum. Meanwhile, as the metaphorical tumbleweed blows through Stormont, in the Irish News Patrick Murphy is particularly critical of the bundling of education into that “package deal”. Education is only one of a number of topics on which the DUP and Sinn Fein disagree. But …

“And that raises one of the mysteries..”

Pete Baker on July 30, 2008, 11:37 pm

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It’s certainly a fascinating discovery, although I’m not sure why the BBC are so startled by the revealed seabed off Rathlin Island. The somewhat breathless report suggested “some [unknown] cataclysmic event” was responsible. Except that there’s already evidence that, over 6000 years ago, a rapid rise in sea levels transformed the landscape elsewhere on the archipelago “in a relatively short period of time”. Surely that could account for these findings? I know there are some geologists out there, any ideas? …

“In the space of a few hours I lectured to more people than I had in my entire life.”

Pete Baker on July 16, 2008, 8:06 pm

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As noted on the BBC’s science section. A simply ingenious combination of YouTube and short videos on the elements in the periodic table by a team at Nottingham University has produced this informative online resource. They have a few more to add but among the elements they’ve already noted is the unique element Ununseptium. Professor Martyn Poliakoff’s introduction to the Periodic Table is here [and below the fold] and here’s the trailer for the project. Professor Martyn Poliakoff on the …

Education Committee fails to agree..

Pete Baker on July 10, 2008, 3:50 pm

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Not only is there no political consensus on Northern Ireland Education Minister Sinn Féin’s Caitriona Ruane’s proposals “as they currently stand”, but there’s no consensus between the political parties on the Assembly’s Education Committee on their response. As the BBC reports A series of meetings was held in private to allow frank discussion but the chairman has admitted that it was difficult to find areas of agreement. Instead, each of the five political parties has produced its own individual response. …

“she has to face up to the political reality..”

Pete Baker on July 4, 2008, 12:29 am

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There’s a lengthy interview with Northern Ireland Education Minister, Sinn Féin’s Caitriona Ruane, in the Irish News today [subs req]. But, as she said in a carefully presented pre-recorded interview on Tuesday’s Stormont Today, “I don’t believe most of what I believe in the papers” [sic]. Despite the Catholic Bishops’ concerns the minister is adamant that she has “brought forward very clear proposals” and that her critics “now have clarity”. The point emphasised in the Irish News was the apparent …

“But I’m not holding my breath..”

Pete Baker on June 30, 2008, 5:14 pm

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The Large Hadron Collider at CERN is due to go fully online in late August and, whilst legal concerns about the experiment rumble on, to celebrate that fact the Guardian has an avalanche of articles – part of a special supplement to today’s paper. They include, among others, an introduction by Steven Hawking, Astronomer Royal Martin Rees on the building blocks of the universe, Simon Singh on WIMPs, MACHOs and DUNNOs, even philospher AC Grayling has a go, and on …

Unions against ‘pay per sitting’ entrance exams…

Mick Fealty on June 30, 2008, 5:11 pm

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It looks like some of Catriona Ruane’s external consensus building is paying off. Both the major teaching Unions in Northern Ireland are forming up against any proposals to run Grammar School tests and charge parents for their cost. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty

“I don’t know if I would call it a witch-hunt..”

Pete Baker on June 28, 2008, 3:44 pm

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Interesting snippet from yesterday’s Irish News, although I’m not sure the Sinn Féin Bulletin can be accurately called a newspaper.. ANYhoo.. Apparently the Education Minister, Sinn Féin’s Caitriona Ruane, is hearing voices.. [scroll down] “Look at who controls the media and in whose interest the media works,” Ms Ruane said. “There is, and I am putting this in inverted commas, the old boys’ network and I think that is what you are seeing. “The voices that we are hearing are …

“There is an atmosphere of unresolved debate..”

Pete Baker on June 26, 2008, 3:11 pm

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It’s not the first time the Northern Irish Catholic bishops have called for greater clarity from the Education Minister, Sinn Féin’s Caitriona Ruane, about her vision for the future.. The BBC picks up on an Irish News report about a statement from the Catholic bishops. [subs req for now] Catholic bishops have accused education minister Caitriona Ruane of creating “fear, uncertainty and instability” by a lack of clarity on proposals for school selection. The northern bishops say they are disappointed …

Alert the amphibious squadron!

Pete Baker on June 24, 2008, 10:21 pm

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On his blog, the BBC’s Mark Devenport tells us that they “had been given a heads up” for this afternoon’s Assembly debate. Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams was to warn of potential meltdown.. again. He is off to London.. again. But then the DUP’s Peter Weir intervened on a point of order.. Let’s hope they have the footage.. Then, as Gerry was about to get to his killer quote, Peter Weir jumped to his feet. Was the DUP member going …

“58% of the sample disagreed, compared to 36% who agreed”

Pete Baker on June 23, 2008, 7:00 pm

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The Sinn Féin spokesman on education John O’Dowd’s response was “Opinion polls vary..”, but I’m not sure there have been that many other polls on this.. Anyway, the Belfast Telegraph reports that a poll of 876 adults in Northern Ireland, commissioned by the Conservative Party, carried out by YouGov, on post-primary education – the issue which “could define the executive” – produced the following results. The main question was: “The Minister of Education Caitriona Ruane would like to see the …

‘could define the executive’

Pete Baker on June 19, 2008, 6:45 pm

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Whilst Sinn Féin education spokesman, John O’Dowd, sets out his party’s opposition to the Association for Quality Education plans for post-primary academic selection the Northern Ireland Education Minister, Sinn Féin’s Caitriona Ruane, has reportedly written to all post-primary grammar schools warning them of the “legal difficulties” involved with such tests – a continuation of what a Belfast Telegraph op-ed has referred to as, “the wrong approach to what could be a laudable objective”. The Minister has resorted to claiming concern …

“She can’t continue to bury her head in the sand..”

Pete Baker on June 17, 2008, 10:56 pm

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The new Chairman of the Assembly’s Education Committee, the DUP’s Mervyn Storey, was on StormontLive today dispelling any suggestion that, with Sammy Wilson ensconced as Environment Minister, there might be a change in DUP policy.. [Don’t mention young-Earth creationism.. – Ed] Pete Baker

National Trust applies for Causeway planning approval

Pete Baker on June 12, 2008, 5:32 pm

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Eight years after the previous visitors’ centre burned down, the National Trust have applied for planning permission for a new visitors’ centre at the Giants’ Causeway. The Trust is to provide £6million and hopes to be able to access other funding sources to reduce the cost to the public purse to approximately £9million. The plan is to build the centre designed by the Dublin-based architects who won an International Design Competition in 2005. Those plans were put on hold in …

“The door to agreement remains open..”

Pete Baker on June 11, 2008, 4:13 pm

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With the elevation of the DUP’s Sammy Wilson to the office of Minister for the Environment the Assembly’s Education Committee required a new Chairman. Step forward the DUP’s Mervyn Storey.. renowned thus far for his promotion of young-Earth creationism.. Perhaps we will now see those teaching guidelines adopted here.. We can almost certainly expect more skirmishes ahead in the battle against The Un-Enlightenment. Pete Baker

“Do we call academic selection something else?”

Pete Baker on May 18, 2008, 10:55 pm

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BBC NI’s Politics Show today kicked off with political correspondent Martina Purdy talking about what was “by no means a normal Executive meeting”. Followed by the Chairman of the Assembly’s Education Committee, the DUP’s Sammy Wilson, clashing again with Sinn Féin’s new education spokesman, John O’Dowd – I’ve put that discussion below the fold. Next on the education agenda, some lateral thinking, considerable brain-storming, real debate, discussion, dialogue and indeed negotiation.. Or perhaps not.. And Sammy Wilson and John O’Dowd. …

“real debate, discussion, dialogue and indeed negotiation..”

Pete Baker on May 17, 2008, 3:18 pm

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The BBC reports deputy First Minister, Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness, on Inside Politics today commenting on the deadlock over post-primary education. [Martin McGuinness] said their experienced negotiators were capable of finding a compromise. “There’s going to have to be some lateral thinking applied to all of this, there’s going to have to be some considerable brainstorming,” he said. “And I believe that we are capable if there’s a will to deal with this issue we are capable of engaging in …