Education – Page 19 – Slugger O'Toole

Minister baulks at picket line..

Pete Baker on October 3, 2007, 5:24 pm

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Nothing online on this yet, but BBC Radio Ulster news at 1pm reported that a planned visit from the Education minister to a school in Londonderry today, affected by the classroom assistants strike, has been cancelled. According to the report a spokesman for the minister said that the visit was cancelled due to the striking classroom assistants.. or rather, the picket line which, on “a point of principle”, the minister is refusing to cross.. Now, about that dose of realism.. …

“One spokesman said he hoped the dispute could be over by Christmas..”

Pete Baker on October 3, 2007, 1:25 am

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There may be some clarity emerging in the ongoing classroom assistants dispute. From the available reports, we have on one side the Education and Library Boards new offer – which amounts to an additional one-off payment for the acceptance of the earlier offer. And on the other hand the main union involved, NIPSA, is pointing to their insistance that wages be based on the current 32.5 hour week, rather than the offered terms which use a 36 hour week. Interestingly …

“The use of the word ‘theory’ can mislead those not familiar with science..”

Pete Baker on October 2, 2007, 12:45 am

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With Lisburn Council encouraging post-primary schools to teach neo-creationists’ untestable hypotheses as alternative theories to evolution, and the NI Department of Education apparently unsure about what they should do about it, James Randerson at the Guardian’s Science blog has pointed to the government’s new guidance to teachers in another part of the UK. And that guidance couldn’t be clearer – creationism and intelligent design are not alternative scientific theories to evolution and “should not be taught as science.” Perhaps someone …

“wholly failing to address the key issues that caused this dispute”

Pete Baker on October 1, 2007, 4:37 pm

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It seems that Chris was being somewhat premature.. The BBC are reporting that, as well as the immediate additional cost of the new offer to classroom assistants coming in at £15million, NIPSA members have rejected the offer [pdf file] and this week’s three-day strike will go ahead.From the NIPSA statement [pdf file] NIPSA’s negotiator Alison Millar said;- “NIPSA’s elected representatives of Classroom Assistants unanimously rejected the employers’ offer tabled on Friday as wholly failing to address the key issues that …

“a substantial additional sum of money..”

Pete Baker on September 28, 2007, 7:20 pm

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With few details in the public domain it’s difficult to tell how much, if any, realism was insisted upon. But the classroom assistants’ unions are to go back to their members with a new offer after reporting “substantive progress” in talks today. The employers [the Education and Library Boards? – Ed], seem to be suggesting it consists of a one-off additional payment. Employers spokesman Robin Harper said they were offering “a substantial additional sum of money”. “Each classroom assistant would …

“this is very much a pastoral, outreach development..”

Pete Baker on September 28, 2007, 6:33 pm

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The Irish News reports a little local difficulty in Crumlin between the Catholic church and the local gaelic club, St James Aldegrove GAC. The club has been using parish-owned grounds since the 1960s but the Diocese of Down and Connor, recently seen picking a fight with Amnesty International, want it back and have instructed the club to vacate the site by November 30. [subs req]From the Irish News report [subs again] A spokesman for the Diocese of Down and Connor …

“insist on a large dose of realism”

Pete Baker on September 27, 2007, 12:41 am

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The classroom assistants’ strike went ahead today, despite the reports of an upbeat end to last minute talks held yesterday. That

Lisburn Council promotes “an untestable alternative hypothesis grounded in religion”

Pete Baker on September 26, 2007, 5:01 pm

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Yesterday the BBC’s Will Crawley noted the persistent questioning of the Education minister, Caitríona Ruane, by DUP MLA David Simpson on various aspects of the teaching of neo-creationism in schools, and his commenters pick up on some of the answers given. [scroll down] Meanwhile today’s Irish News reports [subs req] that Lisburn District Council has passed a motion proposed by DUP councillor Paul Givan who belives he has spotted a gap in those answers which might allow the teaching of …

Ministerial responsibility, or passing the buck?

Mick Fealty on September 25, 2007, 6:50 pm

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Michael Shilliday’s terse description of yesterday’s debate provoked a lot of ire on Slugger yesterday. Not having seen the said debate, I assumed it was about Irish medium education. Turns out, it was about the classroom assistants dispute. The debate seemed an even tempered affair all round until the Minister got up to speak. It’s notable that she refused to give way to any asked for interventions, until the end. Then Sammy Wilson (no doubt putting his Westminster experience to …

“That this Assembly calls upon the Minister of Education..”

Pete Baker on September 25, 2007, 6:18 pm

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Despite the Education Minister’s call to implement the offer she approved in May, the one the unions have already rejected, it’s worth looking at what the Assembly actually agreed yesterday [scroll down] Resolved: That this Assembly calls upon the Minister of Education to intervene immediately in the classroom assistants’ dispute, in recognition of the vital role of classroom assistants, by convening an urgent meeting of the Department, employers and Trade Union side in the dispute, with an agenda to include …

“to intrigue visitors and put another slant on our previously beleaguered history”

Pete Baker on September 25, 2007, 12:52 am

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There’s a report here on a short discussion in the Assembly Commission in favour of a more public display of a certain painting, detail on the left. Unfortunately someone, and we don’t seem to be told who, has requested that it go out on loan [we aren’t told where either – Ed]. Some caution may be required in any display, however, as the BBC’s Mark Devenport points out.. the painting has a history of causing some offence in certain quarters.. …

“as a result of the systematic job evaluation process which has been carried out.”

Pete Baker on September 24, 2007, 7:40 pm

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Today the Assembly debated the amendments and motion on the Classroom Assistants strike called by NIPSA. In the meantime the Education Minister has released the statement she read out to the Assembly this morning which states – “I am now calling on the employing authorities to proceed as swiftly as possible to implement the new gradings so that these valuable staff receive the pay rates to which they are entitled as a result of the systematic job evaluation process which …

Parents win school places judicial review

Pete Baker on September 21, 2007, 3:41 pm

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The BBC reports that the ruling has been announced in the judicial review of school’s allocation of places noted here. And the ruling would seem to place an onus in future on school authorities to check that the addresses of prospective pupils are genuine. On Tuesday the Education minister faced some questions in the Assembly on this. And in an earlier report the barrister for the Department of Education appeared to be putting that onus firmly on the schools The …

Classroom assistants to strike

Pete Baker on September 20, 2007, 2:14 pm

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With the union recommending a ‘Yes’ to strike action, the result shouldn’t have been a surprise to the Education Minister but now it’s official, classroom assistants are to hold a one-day strike next Wednesday, 26 September, with a rally in Belfast – more on the Nipsa action here. And as Nipsa stated when they called the vote [pdf file] The Education & Library Board Panel carefully considered the views of members and has confirmed that the strike action intended will …

“If it is a policy regarding one school..”

Pete Baker on September 19, 2007, 3:01 pm

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The BBC has an update to the story I noted previously – on the disbandment of Amnesty International Groups in Catholic schools – which, ahead of the Irish Bishops’ Conference next month, would indicate that all other schools in the Catholic Maintained sector will be advised to follow suit. The BBC report quotes the auxiliary bishop of Down and Connor, Donal McKeown “If it is a policy regarding one school, it certainly would be a policy regarding all the Catholic …

Catholic church advises Belfast school to disband Amnesty branch

Pete Baker on September 18, 2007, 5:37 pm

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The rift between the Catholic church and Amnesty International over the organisation’s new policy on sexual and reproductive rights appears to be growing, and it’s taking on a local dimension too. Henry McDonald reports in the Guardian, and Patsy McGarry confirms in the Irish Times [subs req], that a Belfast grammar school in the Down and Connor diocese has been advised by the church to disband its Amnesty group. The issue appears to be due for discussion at next month’s …

Education minister “wants to take her time and make the right decision..”

Pete Baker on September 5, 2007, 3:12 pm

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The new primary school year has seen an old topic return, academic selection, and the Belfast Telegraph today has a round-up of the critics of the Education Minister Caitríona Ruane – who’s been accused of “dragging her feet on this issue.” The critics aren’t solely focussed on the minister though, the INTO yesterday directed their criticism at the pro-grammar school lobby, the Association for Quality Education, who held a meeting last night after claiming that 40 grammar schools are prepared …

Judicial review of school places allocation

Pete Baker on August 31, 2007, 7:12 pm

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This story probably has a few weeks to run but it should be an interesting one. Lord Chief Justice Brian Kerr has granted leave for a judicial review of the withdrawal of offers of school places to two Londonderry girls by St Cecilia’s College The BBC report notes that “The case is being taken against the Board of Governors, the Western Education and Library Board and the Department of Education.” As the various reports record the key element in the …

Contemplating the price of a unification process…

Mick Fealty on August 28, 2007, 1:50 pm

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Fergus Finlay argue in his Examiner column today that Shannon may only be the first of a series of prices inflicted by an island wide move towards a single market space: It has been an understated part of the strategy of both the British and Irish governments for many years that they should take every opportunity to develop any situations that have an all-Ireland dynamic to them. Some of the unionist and loyalist parties in the North might have professed …

Sectarian divisions cost more than money…

Mick Fealty on August 24, 2007, 7:57 pm

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David Gordon has managed to get a hold of the Deloitte report ‘Research into the financial cost of the Northern Ireland divide’, surrently being ‘sat on’ by the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister. Apparently the new devolved adminstration is trying to put some clear blue/green water between themselves and the previous Direct Rule adminstration. Below, Michael Wardlow CEO of NICIE argues that the cost of maintaining separate futures, particularly in education, is avoiding Northern Ireland’s overwhelming …