Why Is The Sinn Fein Education Spokesperson

jimd2

Not out batting for the students impacted by the standardisation of grades?

I thought that Sinn Fein would be all over this. Unfortunately I think they would be if it was affecting a different demographic.

To me the government / minister and some of the media have missed a key point. The objective should have been to build a system so that EACH STUDENT could get as close as possible to what they would have got in the Leaving Cert. Not easy and it will never fully happen but surely a profile of the prior performance of the school and the subject in the school should help get closer to correct grades.

I would have thought that a Weighted model based on the school performance graduated over recent years and also some weighting for the subject in question and some additional weighting to the individual's junior cert, mocks etc on top of the base of the teacher's assessment would have been possible and would have gotten closer to what the student would have attained.

After all the department had all summer to do it.

But perhaps the department had that model built and were told to drop it following the outcry in England. A proper model would differentiate on prior performance not how wealthy an area is (but are related of course)

So it looks to have been a political decision and the department itself cannot be fully blamed. This government have got a lot wrong so far and I suspect this last minutes decision was wrong also and the model that the department was working on all summer should have been allowed stand as the department probably got a lot of advice and consultancy setting it up.

But where are the Sinn Fein and Labour spokespersons on this?

These parties need to realise that if get into power that they need to represent all kids including those in these schools and not just their own base.

My own kids are not affected and they never attended any of these schools but we need fair play to all students and, if that profile / school/ class normally gets high results then that should have been built in.

Rodney Bathgate

SF likely see this as a ‘middle class’ issue as you alluded to yourself in the second paragraph. One of the most vocal schools (St. Killians) is a ‘fee paying’ school. I assume SF are against ‘fee paying’ schools, they certainly aren’t a party for the ‘middle class’.

As a result they either don’t care or are worried about the ‘optics’ of taking a position.

Hoboo

Eh, I thought FF and FG were steering this ship?

Rodney Bathgate

Hoboo wrote: »

Eh, I thought FF and FG were steering this ship?

Correct. SF are not in government despite ‘winning the election’ (with less than 25% of the vote) and not forgetting that they ‘broke the free state’.

That hasn’t stopped them commenting on pretty much everything else that happens though.

The radio station I listen to has at least one news item based on a sound bite from some SF spokesperson or other most days.

mloc123

Rodney Bathgate wrote: »

I assume SF are against ‘fee paying’ schools, they certainly aren’t a party for the ‘middle class’.

Funny considering their party leader and most of the higher rank members went to fee paying schools.

jimd2

Hoboo wrote: »

Eh, I thought FF and FG were steering this ship?

Don’t get me wrong I think that FF/FG are totally spineless and are reacting to events such as this and panicked based on UK outcome.

But I was just pointing out that the usual furore that you would get from Sinn Fein and also Labour has been lacking on this.

jimd2

Rodney Bathgate wrote: »

Correct. SF are not in government despite ‘winning the election’ (with less than 25% of the vote) and not forgetting that they ‘broke the free state’.

That hasn’t stopped them commenting on pretty much everything else that happens though.

The radio station I listen to has at least one news item based on a sound bite from some SF spokesperson or other most days.

But have they come out on this topic? I haven’t seen it.

And I repeat I am not batting for this government. I think they are a disgrace and have handled most issues wrong so far.

Rodney Bathgate

mloc123 wrote: »

Funny considering their party leader and most of the higher rank members went to fee paying schools.

I didn’t say they weren’t hypocrites.

antimatterx

Aren't Mary Lou McDonalds' parents absolutely loaded?

IgoPAP

Ah yes, I see the snobby parents are again having a meltdown that their paychecks couldn't buy their kids a good LC this year.

IgoPAP

Here's a thought: Shred the Leaving Cert and let anybody do what course they want.

mloc123

antimatterx wrote: »

Aren't Mary Lou McDonalds' parents absolutely loaded?

Yes, property developer. She attended private primary and secondary school and then went to trinity... Before finding socialism.

Rodney Bathgate

IgoPAP wrote: »

Here's a thought: Shred the Leaving Cert and let anybody do what course they want.

Can’t see anything wrong with this suggestion.

randylonghorn

There is already a thread on the forum discussing LC results etc.