Education

Education

143. This Ard Fheis:

• reaffirms its support for the decision by the Sinn Féin Education Minister  in the 6 Counties Caitríona Ruane to abolish the State sponsored 11 Plus.

• congratulates all those progressive elements in education, politics, the trade union movement and broader society in their continued work and commitment to ending the cycle of deprivation and inequality by removing the process of selection and rejection entirely from our education system.

• supports the new schools’ admissions policy for the North entitled Transfer 2010, and in particular its targets in support of socially disadvantaged pupils.

• endorses the Sinn Féin Minister’s departmental policy of  ‘Every School a Good School’, which drives forward educational improvement and attainment for all across all sectors.

• welcomes the Catholic Commission for Education’s decision to end the practice of academic selection within its schools in the next 2 years. 

• calls on all those who are genuinely opposed to the socially unjust practice of selection to recommit themselves to ending it, not by accommodating further testing on the false promise of ‘give us more time and we will change’. The grammar lobby has had 50 years to change but has failed to do so.  Non-selectionist schools across Ireland are the proof of there being no educational basis for the 11 Plus. They provide a first class education and produce young adults who go out into society and become valued citizens, whether it be in academic or vocational careers.

Ard Chomhairle

PASSED

144. This Ard Fheis: 

·    endorses the ‘Teachers for Sinn Féin’ initiative and urges all members and supporters of Sinn Féin who are teachers or work in an education environment to join and have input into the programme.

·    commends Sinn Féin activists across the 26 Counties who took part in the ‘Leave Our Schools Alone’ campaign at the start of September 2009 and urges all activists to continue to build ties with their local schools, and to campaign against any further cuts to the education system and for the reversal of the devastating cuts already imposed.

 Ard Chomhairle

PASSED

145. This Ard Fheis believes that the Irish Government approach to withdrawing the support services grant to Protestant fee-charging schools is wrong. We believe that a process should be laid out so that steps can be put in place in order to bring these schools fully into the public education system with adequate supports for those who need them. The ultimate objective should be a complete end to the charging of fees. 

Sinn Féin understands the frustration felt by parents in the Protestant community at having no choice but to pay fees so that their children can attend a school in their chosen ethos. We recognise that this is the product of an outdated and antiquated overall education policy and a government ideology that has spurred on the creeping commodification of education.   

We believe that all education should be public and funded by progressive taxation, and that nobody should have to pay privately to obtain an education. To this end we call on the Irish Government to ensure that all private schools are brought fully into the public education system, in a manner that recognises and respects the rights of parents of all faiths and none to have their children educated in their chosen ethos.

Ard Chomhairle

PASSED

146. This Ard Fheis supports the campaign by Educate Together for recognition as second level school patrons.

Donegal Comhairle Ceantair

PASSED

147. This Ard Fheis calls for pressure on the 26 Counties Department of Education to reform the entry requirements to colleges and universities. For instance, the universities and colleges entry requirements are that each student must have passed maths, English, Irish and another language. This should remain in place.  

However, we believe what should be taken into account should be subjects based around the interests of the students 3rd level choice. For example, a student who wishes to further their studies in accounting, the college/university should take their business and accounting subjects into consideration as opposed to their science subjects.

The entry system is unfair in that students who for example may be good at business and have got a A1 in that subject may not be able to study business in college because their geography result was not good enough to reach the required points necessary for the course. A reform of this system ensures that all students have the chance to be what they want to be. 

Ógra Átha Cliath

PASSED

148. This Ard Fheis condemns the exorbitant rise in the 26 County college registration fee. In a climate of financial hardship all students, regardless of income level, have faced a 67% jump in these fees, from €900 to €1500.  Meanwhile the actual student services which the fee is supposed to fund are being cut as third level institutions close gym facilities, cut back on clubs and societies funding and use the registration fee to subsidise staff costs. This unjust rise results in fees by stealth. This Ard Fheis also demands the elimination of all student fees both north and south and opposes the introduction of ‘top up’ fees in the 26 and 6 Counties.  We reiterate our position that education is a right, a right free at all levels.

Martin Doherty Cumann, DIT

Comhairle Ceantair na nOllscoileanna

PASSED

149. This Ard Fheis:

• recognises the contribution of universities to the educational and academic life of the country.

• acknowledges the negative experiences of communities such as the Holyland in South Belfast.

• is mindful of the potential for communities in North Belfast to suffer the same erosion with the relocation of the University of Ulster.

The Ard Fheis therefore adopts a framework policy for the protection of residential communities which neighbour universities, which contains the following components: 

• compulsory university accommodation for first year students.

• compulsory landlord registration.

• tighter control and regulation of houses of multiple occupancy (HMOs).

Nolan/Downey Cumann, South and East Belfast

South and East Belfast Comhairle Ceantair

PASSED WITH AMENDMENTS

AMENDMENT TO MOTION 149

This Ard Fheis:

·      recognises the contribution of universities to the educational and academic life of the country.

·      acknowledges the negative experiences of communities such as the Holyland in South Belfast.

·      is mindful of the potential for communities in North Belfast to suffer the same erosion with the relocation of the University of Ulster.

The Ard Fheis therefore adopts a framework policy for the protection of residential communities which neighbour universities, which contains the following components: 

·      provision of sufficient university accommodation to meet demand, with compulsory university regulated accommodation for first year students living away from home.

·      compulsory landlord registration.

tighter control and regulation of houses of multiple occupancy (HMOs).

Ard Chomhairle

150. This Ard Fheis calls for an inclusive and equality based third level sector. Students should have the right to:

• free access to on-campus full medical services with sufficient staffing levels.   

• decent accommodation at an affordable price – the tax breaks and PPPs that have provided much of the purpose-built student accommodation only benefit the private sector, with many rents far in excess of most students’ affordability.

• access to free food preparation, cooking, and dining facilities at all colleges to offset the expensive college restaurant facilities now mostly unsubsidised and sold off to the commercial sector.

• an increase in travel subsidies for third level students.

• a special subsidy for students toward energy costs.

Martin Doherty Cumann, DIT

Uí Chadhain/Tone Cumann, TCD

Chomhairle Ceantair na nOllscoileanna

PASSED

151. This Ard-Fheis calls on all third-level institutes in Ireland to immediately erect an Irish tri-colour flag on their grounds if there is not one already erected and where there are regional and/or European flags present there should be a national flag accompanying them.

Cumann D’Arcy/Hurson, OÉ Gaillimh

PASSED WITH AMENDMENTS

AMENDMENT TO MOTION 151

151.            This Ard Fheis recognises the importance of flying the Irish National Flag with respect and dignity.

This Ard Fheis calls on all third level institutes in the 26 counties to fly an Irish National flag as a matter of policy.

In the Six Counties the Good Friday Agreement position of equality or neutrality must be adopted. In practice this means that any third level institute which flies the British National Flag must either accompany this with the Irish National Flag or end their unacceptable practice of flying only the Union Jack.

Ard Chomhairle