Ruane herself is quite clear on what she wants: "Let me be clear, the 11 plus is gone and it will not be coming back in any shape or form. The 11 plus is a failed system. Academic selection is a failed system. Any education system which judges even one child as a failure at age 11 is wrong, it is unjust and it is indefensible. Transfer 2010 is my Department’s policy for the transfer of children from primary to post-primary. If followed, the guidance will deliver an effective and fair system which will benefit all."
The DUP believes that "as a result of DUP negotiations at St Andrews a grammar school education will still be available in Northern Ireland. Had the retention of academic selection not been secured by the DUP, Northern Ireland would now be on an irreversible path towards a wholly comprehensive system. Pupils should be matched to the most appropriate school to meet their individual needs." Yet, as regards the Minister herself they cannot resist personal attacks: "the most disliked Minister in the Executive", "the public associate her with confusion, failure, arrogance and obtrusiveness", "Minister of failure, arrogance, obtrusiveness and contempt", and, of course, the obligatory misspelling of her name (its in Irish, which no doubt causes them enormous difficulties); "Catroina Ruane".
The UUP accuses the Minister of having her head in the sand, but manages nonetheless to raise a smile with their latest press-release on education "'Dissaray' in education unacceptable", thereby proving that standards in the state education system certainly need to be improved!
The TUV, of course, considers Ruane to be a "disastrous Minister" who is "consumed by her own ideological agenda of centralist control and destruction of anything which stands her way".
Interesting as such personal attacks are, they are not the point of this blog.
Whether the criticisms of Ruane are correct or not, the nature of the relationship between Sinn Féin and the unionist parties is such that, no matter what she does or says, they will attack her. And therein lies a problem – for the unionists.
The on-going foot-dragging over the transfer of policing and justice by the DUP – egged on by their nemesis in the TUV – shows the wider world that the unionists are simply obstructing anything that Sinn Féin supports, because they support it. As Liam Clarke put it in the News Letter yesterday, giving advice to Peter Robinson: "Taking every pawn isn't how this chess game is to be won". Clarke pointed out that Robinson himself had, in his recent conference speech, for an end to the attitude of 'if it’s good for them, it can’t be good for us'.
"Sometimes it’s even worse," Robinson had said; "When we ask for something, the temptation is to retreat if the other side decide it might not be such a bad idea after all."
The problem for Robinson, and the other unionists, is that their policy of trying to block Sinn Féin at every pass is that this is a policy that blocks the good with the bad, or worse, it leads the casual observer to believe that all unionist opposition is based upon mere meanness of spirit and obstructionism.
The impasse over education may – or may not – be based on sound educational theories. But unionism is losing that argument by trying to win every argument. Blocking Ruane may turn out to be a Pyrrhic victory for unionism, if it leads to a feeling that the obstruction was based not upon the facts of the case, but only upon unionism's pettiness vis-à-vis Sinn Féin.
As Liam Clarke might have said (but didn't), politics is a flexible art, and sometimes you need to give a little to get a lot. Not every pawn – the ILA, educational transfer, p+j, cross-border bodies – needs to be taken. A bad chess player will rush to capture as many opposing pieces as possible, but a more mature and wiser player will see where a piece can be sacrificed, or left uncaptured, in order to achieve ultimate victory. Peter Robinson is appearing more and more to be a bad chess player.
14 comments:
The plans by Sinn Féin Minister of Education Caitriona Ruane ...have aroused deep opposition from the unionist parties.
In fairness, Horseman, not just from Unionist parties.
Some Unionists oppose grammar schools. Try and reflect the full picture Horseman - or be taken for a retarded Irish Republican - drooooolllllllllllll...
Horseman,
There is some confusion about how the disagreements over education fit into the larger pattern of Unionist / Nationalist political discourse.
The issues over the 11+ and academic selection, ironically, have nothing to do with Unionism or Republicanism. It is actually one of the few left/right issues which exist in Northern Ireland politics. As has been rightly pointed out, many Catholics have opposed her policies.
It is also ironic that you mention the Minister's name. I would prefer to emphasise the Irish here because it means "of the red" and thereby appropriately highlights Sinn Fein's less talked about ideology - Hard left Socialism.
Nevertheless, I see a connection connection between Ruane's unpopularity and the criticism made of Peter Robinson of the DUP in Clarke's article.
Ruane's unpopularity is, in part, because she is seen as the republican face of intransigence. Earlier this year, a compromise had been put to her by the smaller parties which she rejected.
I do agree largely with Liam Clarke's analysis and by extension, your criticism of the DUP on other political issues across the board.
In the medium and long term, I agree that the DUP's stonewalling of Sinn Fein at every turn is politically debilitating. The man in the street, whichever tradition he comes from is more likely to want Politicians to co-operate more in power.
Clarke reckons that Robinson would have been the winner on P & J before now had he not over-cooked his demannds. Clarke is bang on the money.
all the trade unions support Ruane, as well as teachers, catholic bishops, all of the catholic primary heads and secondary heads. If the sdlp could leave petty politics alone and stand by what them claim to believe in! well said horseman.
..and not just the list above but the Tories and Labour and the PUP support the abolition of grammar schools. Unionism as usual is out of step.
Kieron
Anonymous /Kieron,
The Tories do not support the abolition of Grammar Schools. The education policy of the Conservatives in England is different to Northern Ireland primarily because the Grammar School system in England has all but gone. There are only 164 Grammar Schools left in England but the Conservatives are not proposing to abolish them.
Kieron -
PUP stands for Progressive UNIONIST Party.
Moron.
I see Watcher is now signing himself "Moron."
Haha
Anonymous, great comment!
I really enjoyed that one
Our friend above (we all know who) cannot engage in reasoned argument, hence the abuse.
Seymour, who I would profoundly disagree with, at least makes his points with reason and fairness. Why would I not listen to him?
Andy=Moron
Watcher,
yes my language was a little loose and I should have said mainstream or most of Unionism rather than just Unionism.
Seymour,
Have the Tories issued any specific statements on the issue of selection/grammar schools in relation to Northern Ireland? How does that policy tie in with the UUP policy - i.e. is it identical?
What a hilarious blog, is it satirical? The blinkered view taken by the education minister attacks the children and parents of both communities with the doubt she has introduced. Still she ably demonstrates the bigotry that is alive and well and well paid in good old Northern Ireland today
What a hilarious blog, is it satirical? The blinkered view taken by the education minister attacks the children and parents of both communities with the doubt she has introduced. Still she ably demonstrates the bigotry that is alive and well and well paid in good old Northern Ireland today
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