Villiers School, Limerick

CiaranMT · 08-01-2012 7:35pm

ifellover wrote: »

As for Hardy ratings on ratemyteachers.ie, yes angry students do vent their frustration but still Hardy has one of the lowest ratings I've ever seen. I've never heard any Villiers student say a good word about him.

You actually put stock in those websites, don't you? He wouldn't have been principal for so long if he couldn't do his job.

Yes, Villiers does get it fair share of foreign students who come for a while, who obviously don't have our level of English which brings the standards of the class down. Its the nature of the school they're fee-paying and accept boarders.

Addressed by others and frankly, irrelevant.

As for Villiers not being open to GAA and the Irish language, Protestant schools never seemed to open to Irish culture which again in a way reinforces that divide in that has existed in Ireland between the two traditions for centuries.

As pointed out by others, this doesn't stand up to scrutiny in any way. Another tired, lazy misconception.

There was even a case in 2006, where two Catholic students from Adare weren't allowed on a Villiers bus simply because they were Roman Catholic. It's like being in Alabama in the 1960's.
Ciaran - why don't you condemn this?

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/catholic-parents-anger-over-vec-bus-pass-ban-83182.html

My sister and plenty of her friends who get the bus would be 'Catholic' in the sense that they've been baptised. They get the bus every morning. One unfortunate case from six years ago does not a sectarian policy make.

Overall, Villiers isn't a good school. Forget about being 'well-rounded', whatever that means (does that mean being a reasonable hockey player?). We live in tough times and if you don't do well in your Leaving, you're fúcked, seriously you're FÚCKED!!!

There's more ways of achieving success than a Leaving Cert. You might learn that some day. Really, it's a bit of a pity that your view is so narrow.

Btw, the hockey-bashing is gas, really. :pac:

ifellover wrote: »

Unionist politicians have consistently opposed funding to the Irish language. The DUP even boasted how it defeated the Irish language bill in Stormont.
Protestant schools didn't even teach Irish for the first 30years of the foundation of the State.
Trinity College doesn't require you to pass Irish in your Leaving.
You should Orange Order members, many of whom are from the South what they think of the Irish language.

Hilariously irrelevant.

ifellover wrote: »

Irish Protestants.

Whattaboutem?

ifellover wrote: »

Wow, a couple of examples = proof.

Yep tradesmen are raking it in, that's why they're all emigrating

You do realise you've just done the exact same thing that you were rebutting right there?

Gleesonbelle · 14-03-2012 3:07pm

My younger brother and sisters went to Villiers and it was worlds apart from where I went just up the road in Salesians. So much so that I will be sending my own children there! Life isn't just about how many points you get in the leaving. I like the fact that the teachers are always willing to help and encourage in whatever area. My brother just finished a degree in film and media having been helped by being made lead in the TY show when he was there. He was not academically minded so it suited him. For me it comes down to the fact that I work fulltime and it means I can collect my kids after after school study where they are supervised and their homework is done in school and they can ask for help if needed

In regards to it not being a catholic school. Big whoop de do!! If I'm homest having 13 years of Catholicism shoved down my throat in school I really don't care what religion they teach if it's the right school for the kids.

In regards to them not playing gaa. Good I'm glad. I'm irish as is my hubby doesn't mean that we have to like gaa or want our kids involved. That is personal choice.

I have a fundamental issue with gaelscoils. Almost every person that went to one that started college with me dropped out. Doing a technical course through English when you've learned all the terms in Irish is along the lines of going to school in Spain and learning in Spanish and then trying to go to university here. All you need is a good Irish teacher that teacher the language rather than making you learn by rote to pass an exam!!

thesimpsons · 14-03-2012 10:19pm

Gleesonbelle, I was agreeing you fine until the last paragraph. all schools are different and cater for different types of kids and gaelcolaiste are the same. I know of loads who have come through the gaelcolaiste system who had no problems going on to college to study a variety of subjects from medical, scientific, engineering and business and haven't suffered due to knowing terms in irish at secondary level. Most kids in gaelcolaiste have to learn bilingually as alot of the books still aren't in irish language versions so they will know the techinical terms in both languages. Also know of loads of kids who went to the grind schools who didn't/couldn't last the pace in university cos they weren't being handfed notes just to pass the exams.

frozenfrozen · 14-03-2012 10:34pm

thesimpsons wrote: »

Gleesonbelle, I was agreeing you fine until the last paragraph. all schools are different and cater for different types of kids and gaelcolaiste are the same. I know of loads who have come through the gaelcolaiste system who had no problems going on to college to study a variety of subjects from medical, scientific, engineering and business and haven't suffered due to knowing terms in irish at secondary level. Most kids in gaelcolaiste have to learn bilingually as alot of the books still aren't in irish language versions so they will know the techinical terms in both languages. Also know of loads of kids who went to the grind schools who didn't/couldn't last the pace in university cos they weren't being handfed notes just to pass the exams.

Villiers isn't a grind school. Apologies if you weren't talking about Villiers but this is a Villiers thread.

Gleesonbelle · 14-03-2012 11:42pm

To be honest I think the gaelschoil is an issue of personal choice. My eldest son has special needs so it's never an option that I would consider but at the same time I can understand the importance of the Irish language as our native tongue and am not anti Irish just not to enamoured of the idea of school through Irish.

And I don't agree with a grind school fulltime either. If someone needs grinds then that is one issue. I myself had some for leaving that we're invaluable but I agree that teaching kids to learn is more important than them learning stuff by rote!!! It's how I've tried to raise my kids. Real pity that there is no Montessori primary school in limerick but that's a whole other thread!!

thesimpsons · 15-03-2012 10:43am

frozenfrozen wrote: »

Villiers isn't a grind school. Apologies if you weren't talking about Villiers but this is a Villiers thread.

fully acknowledge that Villiers isn't a grind school, neither too are the two gaelcholaiste in Limerick - they are good allround schools which feature highly on sports and arts as well as accademic. However I felt that Gleesonbelles last line sorta implied that they teach to the "learning by rote" methods which the grind schools are notorious for.

Gleesonbelle · 15-03-2012 1:53pm

Apologies the simpsons. I should clarify. I feel the grind schools teach by rote. Having not been to a gaelschoil myself I don't think that i can correctly say how they teach other than to reiterate that it was not an option I wanted for myself or an option I would chose for my kids.
We learned irish by rote in school. I could give you a full essay off any time you wanted. I had no idea what it meant and I speak only a cupla focail at all now having promptly forgotten it all the day I did my leaving!

00Sam00 · 05-06-2012 4:00pm

[/Cn villiers is the best school ever

bigpink · 05-06-2012 7:14pm

Villers to alot of people in Limerick would have been classed as "posh" and its for the freeminded kinda students
Thats a stereotype but its seems to stick sometimes