stand up comedian ruane

[Wasp]

Herself alone
www.newsletter.co.uk/n...4020037.jp
Published Date: 25 April 2008
By Staff reporter

WITH the exception of Sinn Fein, all of the main political parties – even those who do not support academic selection – yesterday blamed Education Minister Caitriona Ruane for the confusion about what will replace the 11-plus.
The minister came under increasing pressure to give details of her proposals as politicians from across the political spectrum attacked her for leaving parents and children in the dark by dithering over revealing her plan.

Sammy Wilson, the chair of the education committee which oversees the work of the minister, said he believed Catholic grammar schools would ignore Ms Ruane's "bullying" and join the 31 grammar schools already signed up to the new test system.

The DUP MP – himself a former teacher – said: "I suspect that (Catholic grammars] will not be able to afford to sit on the sidelines whilst controlled and voluntary grammar schools maintain their ethos through the use of educational assessment."

But last night Ms Ruane was defiant.

The minister claimed that she had been "clear" about her proposals, warned that the new test would find itself the subject of legal appeals and said she thought school boards would "spend most of their time in court".

But, describing the minister as "inept" and "completely out of control", Ulster Unionist education committee member Basil McCrea said that Ms Ruane was putting children's education in jeopardy.

"The minister has showed a complete disregard for her Executive colleagues and the Assembly – as well as to pupils, the parents and the teachers she is supposed to represent," he said.

"In her ideological crusade she is attempting to implement policy through pure bullying, while disregarding the need for consensus, and in doing so endangering the future of education in Northern Ireland.

"It is time for the Assembly to act in view of her complete lack of control and started to implement measures to manage her."

And the Lagan Valley MLA said that it was unfair for teachers and parents to have to worry about what the future system would be, rather than concentrating on educating children.

The Alliance Party — which strongly disagrees with academic selection — said the AQE move to create a transfer test was "deeply regrettable" but laid the blame at Ms Ruane's feet.

"Caitríona Ruane has created a vacuum in which confusion reigns. She has left local parents, teachers and pupils with a situation in which only rumour and speculation can prosper," he said.

"This disarray is destabilising for our schools and for society.

We need progress and we need clarity from her as a matter urgently.”

And the SDLP, while strongly disagreeing with the creation of a new test, also said Ms Ruane must take responsibility for the mess.

The party’s Dominic Bradley, deputy chairman of the education committee, said: ““The selection lobby is exploiting the confusion caused by the lack of leadership shown by Minister Caitriona Ruane on the whole transfer issue.

“She now needs to show leadership by bringing forward proposals which can replace confrontation with consensus.”

PUP leader Dawn Purvis described the AQE test as an “elitist step backwards” but said she believed the education minister “could be managing the situation better”.

The Ulster Teachers’ Union said it was “disappointed” that the grammar schools were setting up their own test.

[Wasp]

I don't agree with taking free meals off the poor but do you remember when Thatcher took away the milk from the kids? You have said many times she was a great woman and a great leader and so on.

Yes Thatcher was a great woman and still is. Taking free milk away is something I entirely disagreed with but that was milk this is our kids education and there meals, and don't forget for many poor kids this is the only proper meal they often get.

Besides the quality of the meals is rubbish and we spent more time playing with our food than eating it in school, and just going to the shop so that would need to be fixed anyway. Same kids afterall.

Schools have put alot of effort into creating a healthier balanced diet for kids or didn't you know that.

The balme lies squarely with this useless hypocritical twat

[Shades40]

Hmm no one got breakfast at school when I was there and if it's the only proper meal they often get then the authorities should have a word with their inept parents.

[Jim]

Privatisation of education isnt exactly a bad thing. If you can get companies competing for selling material without the control of the Government then fair play, the standard of education will rise and more jobs can and will be brought in removing Stormont from being to blame for the employment problems in education. As much as I sound like a Thatcherite saying that I'd go with the Labour approach happening in England where there is an underemployment of teachers.

O'Boyle is going to automatically be against Ruane because she is in a rival party, so thats hardly surprising. It doesn't matter if she is catholic or not that shouldn't even come into the equasation education should be a secular environment in every way possible.

Lets get things straight. It is not Ruanes job to persuade people acadeic selection is wrong, that is the job of the assembly to debate and for academics and think-tanks to make arguments on and to brief her on the matter. Her job is to commit to her parties policy on the matter.

That is politics.

[Wasp]

Children are separated into two categories. Grammer and Non-grammer schools. This is that start of the process where some students, the bright ones, get the attention they deserve and require and where some are pushed to the side.
It's not about keeping the Good schools good. It's about making ALL schools good and concentrating on ALL children.

There are plenty of secondary schools that have put out top star pupils who went on to uni etc, plenty of secondary schools that try there best for those students that are less bright but like any school no matter whether it is grammar or not there are teachers who are crap. That is not the fault of the 11+, and lets not forget NI has an excellent education system.

Talking about quality of the food etc is irrelevant at this time. Those meals are absolutely necessary for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

At last we totally agree on something and I will back anyone that supports this.

My younger sister works in what we call the "Breakfast Club" down here where children get a morning meal. Without it the kids are hungry, distracted, have much lower levels of concentration and all in all do worse in class.

good for your sister, if I had my way all schools would run a means tested breakfast club for those kids who want to use it.

There's been a sea-change in behavior and achievement since the Breakfast Club was introduced and I'd be for expanding it. To think it's equivalent up North has had it's budget cut and had to reduce services as the Newsletter article suggests makes my blood boil.

same here and it would be the same no matter what party tried to cut it

Then you should have no problem posting the link because the BBC archive all their stuff.

As I already said I don't have the link, but if you don't want to believe it then don't, no big deal.

10% of pupils are failed by the system and on leaving school they have no qualifications and few skills. For some coherent conversation seems beyond their capabilities. It is a disgrace that children leave school unable to read and write.

I agree.

PART of that is because of academic selection of 11 year olds!

Totally disagree.

Tell you what WASP, as it stands I can see why people are concerned but I also know there's a plan of action.
In one year you'll see the difference and be clear on what they are.

Could you explain that waffle in English and explain what on earth that had to do with answering my post about her inviting journalists to ask her questions then she refused to answer any apart form giving out a statement?

[Jim]

So.. I take it there is no challenge to my post? That she is only doing her job?

Happy days.

[Wasp]

I think most of the posts from myself challenge your post. She is a twat and even setanta claims there is a plan but doesn't say. This is our kids education we are talking about and as a parent I have a right to know what her exact intentions are. As a parent my children have everyright to free meals if they fall under the qualifying means test because I don't know what my future will be regards income and employment.

As a parent she is not fit for the job and she should resign immediately. If sinn fein feel the sameway as setanta does then they would make her resign.

[Jim]

So you are going to say that it is her job to persuade people when its actually not?

Mate, she's a Government minister, a politician, even the British ministers in Westminster don't have to convince people, they'll either have a passed bill to let them do something or they'll just implement it anyway, they talk to academics and pressure groups and a lot of other people (or, well, their junior ministers do) and then make a decision on the matter according to party policy, sometimes its not party policy if the party doesnt have a policy on the matter (like free meals)

Thats exactly what happens here. The people who need to persuade or challenge that is the Assembly.

I agree with you every child has a right to free meals, so funding should be put aside for it and for quality meals and not the shite I was served in school. What parent can't afford to give their kid £1 5 days a week for something to eat in the school shop? Thats what my ma done. If someone can't afford to feed their own child then thats an even bigger problem that needs to be sorted out by a different department, not education.

[Wasp]

Some families have alot more than 1 child Jim. She hasn't a clue and it is her job to inform us all what the hell her plans are, it is her jopb to make sure kids are provided for instead of cutting their money yet finding money to fund the translation of English into Irish for people when many can't even speak Irish.

Does that sound like a capable minister now does it. sinn fein are the only party supporting her and most other people let alone political parties are against her including the journalists she invites to answer questions then just reads a statement and refuses to answer questions. She is an absolute disaster for our kids education and for the poor kids to get a decent meal.

[Jim]

Yes, yes they do, and they also get money for each child even if its not a whole lot, I mean really, the quality of those free meals you wouldn't give to a homeless man they're awful.

Her plans are clear mate, read the SF manifesto or their policies for education and you will see most of those plans. Other things by her own doing are a bit different because there is only so much she can say. Why isnt the funding adequate for such an important issue? Why hasnt Robinson gave her the money needed for the education ministry? Even better yet why hasn't Gordon Brown gave enough money so Robinson can make proper budgets. Our economy isnt anywhere near enough to do it ourselves yet and educating people will be important for the future of the economy unless you want us to go to England and contribute their instead like the old days.

Translation into English and Irish are paid for by a different institution and a lot of money for the Irish language for literally decades has been privately funded.

What is a disaster for our kids education is the 11+ and calling 11 year old children failures and forcing them to go to a worse off school because they got 2 or 3 questions wrong on a science paper, instead of assessing them on what matters, their ability to learn and their willingness to put the work in. Its an outdated system. It creates good schools and bad schools instead of making all schools good and giving pupils a choice to do what they want with their lives instead of shoving a science class and a home economics class and expecting them to do something with their lives with that.

I learnt fuck all in secondary school, its a disgrace, I learnt more about life and even about the subjects when I transferred to tech and then went onto university. I probably would still fail an 11+ if I sat one now, yet I can sit in an exam room for 3 hours and write 3 full essays on "economics" and "criticisms of electoral systems in minority party politics and the far left/right".

How does that make sense?

[Wasp]

Yes, yes they do, and they also get money for each child even if its not a whole lot, I mean really, the quality of those free meals you wouldn't give to a homeless man they're awful.

School meals are far from perfect but they have improved and at the end of the day these meals are the only meals some kids get.

Her plans are clear mate, read the SF manifesto or their policies for education and you will see most of those plans. Other things by her own doing are a bit different because there is only so much she can say.

Bollocks Jim and you know it, she can't answer questions and no-omne knows what the hell is going on including teachers and parents. Why won't she answer questions put to her, why are people no clearer on what is going on. Yor comments here are simply bullshit.

Why isnt the funding adequate for such an important issue? Why hasnt Robinson gave her the money needed for the education ministry? Even better yet why hasn't Gordon Brown gave enough money so Robinson can make proper budgets. Our economy isnt anywhere near enough to do it ourselves yet and educating people will be important for the future of the economy unless you want us to go to England and contribute their instead like the old days.

The blame lies squarely with her as proven in the articles posted.

Translation into English and Irish are paid for by a different institution and a lot of money for the Irish language for literally decades has been privately funded.

Re-read the article Jim.

What is a disaster for our kids education is the 11+ and calling 11 year old children failures and forcing them to go to a worse off school because they got 2 or 3 questions wrong on a science paper, instead of assessing them on what matters, their ability to learn and their willingness to put the work in. Its an outdated system.

Absolute bullshit, have you got any kids yourself? As a parent I can assure you NO child is classed as a failure and schools have moved on from that term years ago.

It creates good schools and bad schools instead of making all schools good and giving pupils a choice to do what they want with their lives instead of shoving a science class and a home economics class and expecting them to do something with their lives with that.

It creates nothing of the sort. Again your post is absolute nonesense.

I learnt fuck all in secondary school, its a disgrace, I learnt more about life and even about the subjects when I transferred to tech and then went onto university.

Could be a mix of things including your own application and poor teachers. I didn't learn much at grammar school and I failed half my exams.

[Wasp]

What is this plan setanta, wouldn't you want to know what future your kids were going to have concerning education if someone was for changing it and then ducked and dived every question where parents and proffesionals were left as confused as ever? Why are you even avoiding describing this plan or don't you know? Ifg not why would you defend a plan you know nothing about. You still haven't explained what you are waffling about so could you please be clearer. This idiot is from your party and I would like to know what she is doing because it concerns my kids.

I didn't expect you to believe it, in your world only a link can verify the truth and that was well proved with the history Ireland topic.

[Jim]

Christ..

Wasp, if parents cant afford to feed a child then that has bigger problems than just school dinners and it should be looked at on a huge scale to ensure that parents have enough money to feed their children. I came from a shit hole and dont know anyone who didnt have a dinner when they went home. If a child isnt eating at home then thats not a problem for an education ministry its a problem for the social fucking services (if the child is being neglected) or employment needing to give more to those that dont have.

What minister can answer questions? Have you ever saw a press statement by a minister? They have PR people telling them what to say and how to say it and they pretty much say what they are told unless an interviewer can make them slip up. You can't win if you are a politician, if you say something, someone will cry anout it, if you say another, someone else will cry about it. So you keep your mouth closed.

With the 11+ if she keeps it she will be criticised by a. her party, b. her electorate, c. left wing media. If she doesn't, she faces criticism from people in favour of it like you, right wing media, grammar schools, conservatives.. just can't fucking win.

I read the article, it says nowt about the realities of Government it would rather just whinge. She is given a set amount of money. With that money she has a check list of things to do, the Irish language is part of that and always will be, the money comes from somewhere else it is not generated by her ministry.

I don't have kids ofcourse I don't have kids I hate the wee shites ;D people in my family (cousins, cousins of cousins etc) have failed the 11+ and been turned away from schools and their broths or sisters have passed and been let into better schools. You know what that means, I know you do. One child will have a lesser education than another, because they where able to answer some bullshit question about science or maths. One is a failure in a school that focuses on vocational studies to keep them on the ground and another will be prepared for A levels and university life far sooner than the other. I myself only got into university because I was going on 21 when I applied. Why is that fair Wasp that because when they where 11, one child is going to find it easier to get into university than another because theyre more likely to pass with quality teaching?

[earl]

I have to say, I find the idea of testing kids so young for academic selection would be something I wouldn't agree with. Down here, there are no life-changing exams to be had while in primary school (well I had none). The first exam I did was when I had to do an aptitude entry exam for the secondary school (I was 12). Once you started secondary school, during your first year, you were put into the relevant level for your ability per subject, higher, lower or foundation level.

[Wasp]

May 7, 2008 7:51:16 GMT @setanta said:

The link is already there!!

I don't understand it, could you explain? Why are you avoiding the questions just like Ruann?