Excuse me why exactly has SF got education AGAIN?

irishjohn

She lives in Co Louth but rumour has it her children attend a grammar school in Newry - cannot confirm this.

tara747

Has Newry been granted independence, did I miss something???

irishjohn

As Catriona is a paid public servant in Northern Ireland and therefore paying taxes here I daresay there is some point in making use of the excellent services this country provides. Let's hope her husband is also employed in Northern Ireland and we are getting his taxes as well.

I wonder how much of her salary goes in currency conversion to pay it into an account in Louth or does she make use of the UK banking system as well?

steveymp

Noelsagan wrote: »

Well touche, steveymp :T

I'll just have to defer in the face of such wildean wit

I was trying to say Thank You but my Dyslexia kicked in

ebayqueen_2

Afternoon all

I have to say I normally avoid the NI threads.:p

Thought I would pop in when I saw this one:D

I'm no big fan of Mrs Ruane but I do think you should actually award her with a bit more respect. What is it to you if her kids go to school in Newry that is their family choice or if her husband works here or in ROI. There are many people who travel back and forward over the border everday.

Surely this is mindless stupidity to expect to live in a country where we need an iron curtain and keep all out that aren't locals. Incredibly narrow minded folks.

She is a member of our government and surely she and Mr O'Dowd deserve as much respect as any other minister. The statement does Mr O'Dowd send his children to another country to be educated. Surely its just bigotry thats directing your opinions.

Sinn F are a politically elected party with major support so they are entitled to pick their choice. Some may not like it but thats democracy.

I would like to point out that I am not a SF voter, never have been. I do believe that mutual respect is the way forward here.

Also I am very much in favour for keeping the selective education option...call it what we may. I am also very concerned that every child gets the best start it can. Education primarily comes from the home. How you direct your children to approach their futures is paramount in their development and progress at school.

The point about Catholic bishops is very narrow minded too... may I say bigoted again. Get your facts right before making statements that are untrue.

Open your eyes there are a great deal of people who are willing to try and work together to make progress here. So you all need to embrace others opinons and values. Stop being so simply down right bigoted.

I will avoid the NI boards for a while...makes me sick to see the downright intolerance for people of a different political view than yourselves.

absoluteutopia

ebayqueen wrote: »

I will avoid the NI boards for a while...

Good, because that big purple attention seeking font is a pain in the @rse

facingthefuture

Oh get off your high horse!!!CR is no shrinking violet and she deserves not one once of respect for what she has done to our childrens futures. I am outraged that a child who would have got an a from just the work it would do at school would now get a c if they were lucky because there are no longer any goals for the teachers to attain. Yes I am cynical about why exactly the catholic bishops would seek to ruin a grammar school system that gave ordinary joe public the chance to become whatever they wanted to be in life. Now...you need money, to be tutored. Sure that wouldn't be necessary in some sort of socialist state that CR likes to endorse. GET REAL. As for the republic, yes there too they do have a two tier system (look up Blackrock).

As a catholic, I have made my views clear to the (childless) bishop (I presume) and if you cannot stand a lively debate then yes, do one. This is far too darn important to !!!!!foot around. I know my protestant very good friend is just as furious with CR as me and also sees her childrens chances of being properly educated as being endangered by these crackpots. This is not about religion, it was just as a catholic I am cynical as to what is behind the catholic bishops thinking. As for O Dowds - exactly what has he done to earn my respect? So far he has been totally behind SF's policy of dumbing down educational standards. Lets face it, they are physically threatening with it. Try reading about the SDLP guy who dared to walk round Galliagh in Derry....attacked with a golf club. So don't you DARE tell me to respect SF.

steveymp

facingthefuture wrote: »

Oh get off your high horse!!!CR is no shrinking violet and she deserves not one once of respect for what she has done to our childrens futures. I am outraged that a child who would have got an a from just the work it would do at school would now get a c if they were lucky because there are no longer any goals for the teachers to attain. Yes I am cynical about why exactly the catholic bishops would seek to ruin a grammar school system that gave ordinary joe public the chance to become whatever they wanted to be in life. Now...you need money, to be tutored. Sure that wouldn't be necessary in some sort of socialist state that CR likes to endorse. GET REAL. As for the republic, yes there too they do have a two tier system (look up Blackrock).

As a catholic, I have made my views clear to the (childless) bishop (I presume) and if you cannot stand a lively debate then yes, do one. This is far too darn important to !!!!!foot around. I know my protestant very good friend is just as furious with CR as me and also sees her childrens chances of being properly educated as being endangered by these crackpots. This is not about religion, it was just as a catholic I am cynical as to what is behind the catholic bishops thinking. As for O Dowds - exactly what has he done to earn my respect? So far he has been totally behind SF's policy of dumbing down educational standards. Lets face it, they are physically threatening with it. Try reading about the SDLP guy who dared to walk round Galliagh in Derry....attacked with a golf club. So don't you DARE tell me to respect SF.

:T we have a winner for post of the month me thinks:T

Ebay Queen, it is not political, I myself am a Jedi (may the force be with you) but I live and work with Catholics and Protestants quiet happily. All my friends and family are of the same opinion as me and indeed facingthefuture or SF's education policy, or lack of it

I am NOT a bigot as you have called me, I was simply interested in knowing if Mr O'Dowd had children and if so were they educated in the system he and his party have control over ? Of course everyone is entitled to their opinion but I'll keep mine of you to myself;)

fredy34

I still cant decide how much of all this mess is to do with having non educated people in charge of our education system or the finance budgets that schools have been given.
My own school is loosing 2 members of staff - not replaced as we cant afford them.
Im told Grosvenor is loosing 4 and Methody is loosing 6?
We will have 25+ class sizes at A level before long.

Its all very depressing for our children.

Mistral001

Most kids in Northern Ireland do not go to the grammar schools. Most kids (the majority) go to secondary schools. These kids are future voters and perhaps voters with memories and want something different for their children - can you blame them? It is just the majority voting or is that a bad thing. Maybe they are not "educated" enough and should not be allowed to vote.