Still no place for gaelic games in NI state school sector

[pintsofguinness]

What part of the rule is being broken by clubs renting their premises out sammy?

The Association shall be non-party
political.
Not that part

Party political questions shall not
be discussed at its meetings,
Not that one

and no
Committee, Club, Council or
represenative thereof shall take part, as
such, in any party political movement.
Not that one

The Association shall be non-sectarian"
Not that one

??

[Main Street]

Have you read this thread? Posters are giving out that the GAA is not being welcomed into state schools yet arent willing to remove political baggage that will enable them to.
Its a straightforward choice.

Maybe Sammy the Bigot has written that.
Where else did you read that?
Have you read any official statement from the schools as to why Gaelic games are not played?

Nor do I, but if GAA clubs want to name grounds after Republican figures, it will alienate unionists. This is not rocket science.

Are you off your head?
Where is it on the schools manifesto that they only cater to Unonist?
Rugby Soccer and GAA clubs have great cooperation in Limavady

Clearly the bigoted policy in schools is being maintaned and supported by protestant faith schools and those of the protestant faith.

http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/issues/educ/school10.htm
http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/issues/educ/school9.htm
http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/issues/educ/school8.htm

[MW]

I doubt it would get much chance in my old school (Foyle) either - even though itd be 40% catholic i reckon.
We were not even allowed a football team - rugby/cricket only

Aye, prejudice most likely based partly on class and on rugby cliquery means manys a grammar school doesn't have football

[Main Street]

And where a 40% catholic school does have soccer along with rugby and cricket and hockey, is it the same type of snobbery/prejudice that would cause some of the parents / staff to prevent Gaelic games from being played.

[slow corner back]

It always amazed me that, to the best of my knowledge, the integrated education sector has never taken up gaelic games. Surely from an integrated school perspective introducing those of a unionist tradition to gaelic games would be an excellent way of breaking down barriers which is what integrated education is meant to be about. As far as I know DJ Kane, all ireland winning captain 1994, taught for years in lagan college but they never had a gaelic team. Seems like a criminal waste of a talented man, are some of these schools integrated in name only?

[Main Street]

It's time for the parents of the children who want to play GAA to tell the school administration to stuff their snobbery/prejudice/bigotry and don't be attempting to drag the children into their primeval ways.

[Solomon Kane]

Its time more of the protestant sons of Cuchulainn understood what their culture reallly is and formed their own clubs or got stuck right in the middle of others.  

I applaud almost all of your post feetofflames, and you yourself, but I have to take you up on this point. Coming from a protestant background Gaelic culture is not my culture and probably never will be, nor is any sort of Orange/Unionist culture for that matter. Someones culture is just what they decide it is themselves. Personally I owe more of what I regard is my culture to Joey Ramone, Desmond Dekker, Stephen King and a whole host of international influences than I do to anything that came from this Island. I'm not knocking anyone for what they percieve is their own culture, and perhaps some people of various persuasions could argue that I am losing out by not immersing myself in something which is uniquely Irish/Ulster. I do however resent people of any background telling me what I should or should not regard as my culture.

That said, you are showing a lot of guts. If their were only more people like you from all areas of the community we would be better off.

[Main Street]

If you don't want to play or support or identify with Gaelic games thats your prerogative.
Ironic that you come to a GAA board to say that.

What is the issue here is that you and other people of similar or stronger views shut up and stand aside. Let those who want to play GAA in the schools to go ahead and play the Gaelic sports. Do not place any obstacles to the playing of GAA  sports by the children who want to play them.
That is the issue here.

We have a situation where some teachers poison becomes the schools policy.

[Solomon Kane]

If you don't want to play or support or identify with Gaelic games thats your prerogative.
Ironic that you come to a GAA board to say that.

What is the issue here is that you and other people of similar or stronger views shut up and stand aside. Let those who want to play GAA in the schools to go ahead and play the Gaelic sports. Do not place any obstacles to the playing of GAA  sports by the children who want to play them.
That is the issue here.

We have a situation where some teachers poison becomes the schools policy.

Did I read that right? Did you tell me to shut up and stand aside? I cant remember putting any obstacles in anyones place to do anything. Catch yourself on. If you read my post you might actually realise that I am all for freedom of choice to do or not do whatever you want without harming others.

[Main Street]

Then you would fully agree with the right of children to play Gaelic sports of their choice in any school in NI.
Not only that, you would also agree that anybody who objects to children playing Gaelic sports in schools should stand aside and not provide any obstacle.

[Solomon Kane]

Then you would fully agree with the right of children to play Gaelic sports of their choice in any school in NI.
Not only that, you would also agree that anybody who objects to children playing Gaelic sports in schools should stand aside and not provide any obstacle.

If there is a suitable demand and resources, schoolchildren should be allowed to play any sports of their choice in any school.

There is also a counter argument that if parents don't like a school's ethos, they shouldn't send their kids there. It works both ways. The example of the haircut case in Ballyclare just goes to prove that. There are plenty of clubs out there for kids who want to play Gaelic games, Rugby, Football or whatever, and plenty of other organisations which provide these activities.

Personally I dont care what way they do something as long as they get off their lazy wee Nintendo arses and do domething to break a sweat.

We are now in a position where schools share classes and resources - it is the only viable way to balance the books due to falling school numbers. If it was possible would it not make more sense for kids at a state school with an iterest in Gaelic games to train at a neighbouring RC school, and kids at an RC school with an interest in football or rugby to train at a neighbouring state school, rather than devote scarce resources in either situation to something which could struggle to get enough interest at times?     

[Solomon Kane]

I just remebered regulary playing a Gaelic game in my state primary school....


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rounders



I just don't remember anyone telling me it was at the time

[Main Street]

If there is a suitable demand and resources, schoolchildren should be allowed to play any sports of their choice in any school.

There is also a counter argument that if parents don't like a school's ethos, they shouldn't send their kids there. It works both ways. The example of the haircut case in Ballyclare just goes to prove that.

That is not a counter argument, it is an opinion, not very well thought out or supported, doesn't qualify as an argument.
It certainly is not an argument in the Limavady case.
And to take another scenario where there are two schools in the one area, then the kids (most definitly catholic) will go to one even if it is further away just so they can play Gaelic and bipass the nearest school which has an entrenched outdated snobbery /bigotry/ intolerance. towards gaelic games.
Such a school's ethos has no place in a society that is aiming to rid itself of a lot of institutionalized prejudice.

There are plenty of clubs out there for kids who want to play Gaelic games, Rugby, Football or whatever, and plenty of other organisations which provide these activities.

Basic joy/right of a kid is to play main sport of choice in a school, to aim to reprepresent the school in competition,
whether it be rugby, hockey, soccer, or GAA.
As I mentioned before I played all my GAA in school and joined a club after school.

[Solomon Kane]

If there is a suitable demand and resources, schoolchildren should be allowed to play any sports of their choice in any school.

There is also a counter argument that if parents don't like a school's ethos, they shouldn't send their kids there. It works both ways. The example of the haircut case in Ballyclare just goes to prove that.

That is not a counter argument, it is an opinion, not very well thought out or supported, doesn't qualify as an argument.
It certainly is not an argument in the Limavady case.
And to take another scenario where there are two schools in the one area, then the kids (most definitly catholic) will go to one even if it is further away just so they can play Gaelic and bipass the nearest school which has an entrenched outdated snobbery /bigotry/ intolerance. towards gaelic games.
Such a school's ethos has no place in a society that is aiming to rid itself of a lot of institutionalized prejudice.

There are plenty of clubs out there for kids who want to play Gaelic games, Rugby, Football or whatever, and plenty of other organisations which provide these activities.

Basic joy/right of a kid is to play main sport of choice in a school, to aim to reprepresent the school in competition,
whether it be rugby, hockey, soccer, or GAA.
As I mentioned before I played all my GAA in school and joined a club after school.

You have not thought this through at all. First of all, it is not the right of a kid to play the "sport of their choice" at a school. What if the sport of their choice cannot be provided for entirely practical reasons. There are many other popular sports out there that get little or no support from the schools - cycling, tennis or golf for example.

As regards your blinkered comments about snobbery/bigotry/intolerance, if the nearby RC school in question already has a Gaelic pitch, and a teacher who is competent enough to coach the game when the state school perhaps doesn't would it not make more sense to share facilities? Or should the state school perhaps sack the PE teacher so they can take on someone with GAA experience if it is not there already? If they have one football pitch marked out for soccer to they re-mark it for Gaelic games? What I provided is one scenario only and not a one size fits all situation. Like it or not, some schools do not presently have the facilites for adding to the sports they provide. One school I went to didn't even have outdoor facilities or anywhere to build them - we very occasionally got to borrow those of a nearby primary school - only once or twice in my whole time there. Where would you suggest we played hurling? In the school gym? It would need to be a very big gym. Not everything is a conspiracy.


Tram - perhaps that is a fair point about the use of the term "ethos". The point I should have made was, if a parent knew before applying to send a child to a school that the school didn't play Gaelic games, soccer, cricket, rugby or whatever their favourite game was for whatever reason is it not reasonable that the child lives with the consequences of that, and plays their favourite sport outside of school?

[magickingdom]

solomon, make the STATE school get the money and provide the pitch. simple really