16th May 2008
Selection staying, Ruane in denial?
I don’t want to rehearse again my concerns about what Northern Ireland’s Education Minister Caitriona Ruane has done by way of a U turn on the eleven plus, but do want to say something about communicating change.
The Minister gave a terrible interview of BBC Hearts and Minds programme last night. When asked again and again how she was going to translate ‘her’ vision for the future of education here into a reality, despite the opposition of all the other parties on the Executive, she said simply kept stating that she was the minister.
Sometimes it is very useful to state the obvious when communicating change. People resistant to change need to be reminded that is is happening and that you have the power to make it happen, etc. That is of course when you have the power. Ms Ruane does not. She is part of a power sharing executive which requires cross community consensus on major issues like this one. She has the power to bring forward ideas but not the unilateral power to implement them without the executive’s agreement. Could someone please communicate this to her.
It’s not often I end up shouting at the TV but after Noel Thompson’s tenth attempt to get her to answer the question of how she could bring forward her plans without agreement she simply repeated that she was the minister for education and she was engaging stakeholders. She seems unable to accept that the law says she needs consensus to make changes and that if she doesn’t get agreement selection stays. Arrrrrrrrghhhhhhhh…….Or in the immortal words of the shark in Finding Nemo - DENIAL!.
Now it was never going to be an easy partnership with SF and the DUP at the helm. Selection is a complex and emotional issue and I do acknowledge she has one of toughest challenges in government. But this is a democracy not a Stalinist one state system and the people have a voice though their MLAs. Here it’s about winning an argument, not simply ramming through something on a majority vote. Ms Ruane would be out on her ear in any other system. She may well live on in this one. Meantime children will suffer, parents and teachers will worry and unless things change dramatically, Sinn Fein will loose votes.
On another very very sad note. Ireland lost a fine man last night. Robert Dunlop, the young brother of the late Joey Dunlop died at the North West 200. He follows Celtic legend Tommy Burns to what we all hope is a better place. A great man like his late brother, Robert will leave a huge legacy and will be missed by this island.
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