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What you want to say – 1st of June June 1, 2016

Posted by WorldbyStorm in Uncategorized.
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As always, following on Dr. X’s suggestion, it’s all yours, “announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose”, feel free.

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1. Tomboktu - June 1, 2016

I see this morning that more ‘alignments’ with the I4C group in the Dáil would see it get higher priority in speaking time than the Labour Party. (It has already overtaken AAAPBP.)

Ouch.

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WorldbyStorm - June 1, 2016

Can I ask where you saw that and what ate the details, I see MOS in Fail today speaking with I4C or on their time.

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Gabriel - June 1, 2016
WorldbyStorm - June 1, 2016

Thanks, that’s very interesting tbh. Be fun to be a fly on the wall at the discussions about it…

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CMK - June 1, 2016

Were they all elected on the I4C platform? I thought that speaking groups were strictly governed by alignment at date of election and that groups could not come together post election to form groups for speaking rights. Have the Standing Orders of the Dáil changed in that regard?

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WorldbyStorm - June 1, 2016

Is it that one of the reforms is that people are a little freer to form groups with like minded folk? Actually, just thinking about it a bit further Technical Groups were never contingent on the platforms people were elected on but on people working in them – that was certainly true of the TGs in 2002 onwards, 2011 onwards as well. So logically it comes down to who wants to work with one another.

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The McCarthy Report - June 1, 2016

Standing orders have not been changed regarding groups or parties with fewer TD’s elected under its banner and therefore any technical group will not be in a position to jump the four non government registered parties that exceeded the new target for speaking rights of 5. An amendment to do so last week from Clare Daly was defeated.

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WorldbyStorm - June 2, 2016

Interesting, any sense of how the IT could get it so wrong in suggesting I4C moving to a position where others could subsequently join it or that the SDs and others were aggrieved over this issue. Is it all incorrect as reported?

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dublinstreams - June 4, 2016

I would now agree with this interpretation that once you are party that reaches 5 members you take precedence over conglomerates, although it is confusing and Dail seemed confused itself, private minuteless meetings don’t help http://www.oireachtas.ie/documents/thisweek/motions-2016/m250516a.pdf “(3) The order in which the right under paragraph (2) may be exercised by the various groups
shall be determined on the basis of the numbers of members in the groups, a larger group
having precedence over a smaller one. In the case of an equality of numbers, precedence shall
be determined by lot. Provided that a group which consists only of a single party shall have
precedence over a technical group.’.”” if it there was comma before Provided it would how the IT described it.

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WorldbyStorm - June 4, 2016

Ah… so tough on the SDs they’re still behind but AAAPBP takes precedence ahead of any I4C + others lash up? Or am I reading that incorrectly dublinstreams?

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gendjinn - June 4, 2016

Interesting. I wonder if there will be any litigation on the primacy of Party over Technical Group. We have a lot more actors and TDs flitting between parties than ever before.

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2. Jim Monaghan - June 1, 2016

A bit for teh archives.

Liam Daltun: 50 years after the Easter Rising, a Socialist Republican’s “Reflections on the Easter jamboree”


Liam Daltun: 50 years after the Easter Rising, a Socialist Republican’s “Reflections on the Easter jamboree”. Introduction by Sean Matgamna a comrade of Liam Daltun.
This article appeared in the London monthly of the Irish Workers’ Group, “Irish Militant”, in May 1966. The author, Liam Daltun had been a member of the IRA who had taken part in the 1956 split in that organisation, siding with the faction led by Joe Cristle, which was impatient for “action” against the 6 County sub state. He took part in the “action” of November 1956, when they set fire to custom posts along the internal Irish border, which preceeded the “official” IRA Campaign that would start in December 1956. Eventually disillusioned with both of the IRA factions, he migrated to London. There he moved to the left, as did a number of other “Cristleites”. Still trying to get his political bearings he joined the Communist Party and was active for a while in its Irish “front” orgsnisation, the Connolly Association, which masqueraded as an Irish nationalist organisation. He and some others were expelled from that organisation in 1958. He became a Trotskyist around this time and remained a Trotskyist for the rest of his life. He was intensely hostile to the Stalinist faction that took control of the IRA in the mid 1960s.

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Michael Carley - June 1, 2016

Some here will be interested in hearing Kieran Conway talk about the Birmingham bombings on Radio 4 this morning, about two hours into the Today programme.

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WorldbyStorm - June 1, 2016

+1

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Joe - June 1, 2016

I read some of what he had to say in the online IT. Made me want to puke. Other things I could say but probably against CLR moderator policy.

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Liberius - June 1, 2016

“I don’t view IRA volunteers as murderers; I view them as people who participated in a just war.”

A quote from Conway, and below is article three of the Geneva convention. I look forward to the war crimes trial at The Hague. They can’t have it all ways, if it’s a war then they are liable for the targeting of civilians.

ARTICLE 3

In the case of armed conflict not of an international character occurring in the territory of one of the High Contracting Parties, each Party to the conflict shall be bound to apply, as a minimum, the following provisions:

(1) Persons taking no active part in the hostilities, including members of armed forces who have laid down their arms and those placed ‘ hors de combat ‘ by sickness, wounds, detention, or any other cause, shall in all circumstances be treated humanely, without any adverse distinction founded on race, colour, religion or faith, sex, birth or wealth, or any other similar criteria.
To this end, the following acts are and shall remain prohibited at any time and in any place whatsoever with respect to the above-mentioned persons:

(a) violence to life and person, in particular murder of all kinds, mutilation, cruel treatment and torture;

(b) taking of hostages;

(c) outrages upon personal dignity, in particular humiliating and degrading treatment;

(d) the passing of sentences and the carrying out of executions without previous judgment pronounced by a regularly constituted court, affording all the judicial guarantees which are recognized as indispensable by civilized peoples.

(2) The wounded and sick shall be collected and cared for.

An impartial humanitarian body, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, may offer its services to the Parties to the conflict.
The Parties to the conflict should further endeavour to bring into force, by means of special agreements, all or part of the other provisions of the present Convention.
The application of the preceding provisions shall not affect the legal status of the Parties to the conflict.

https://www.icrc.org/applic/ihl/ihl.nsf/Article.xsp?action=openDocument&documentId=A4E145A2A7A68875C12563CD0051B9AE

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Starkadder - June 1, 2016

“the Communist Party and was active for a while in its Irish “front” orgsnisation, the Connolly Association, which masqueraded as an Irish nationalist organisation.”

Haven’t the Connolly Association always insisted they were independent of the CPGB, or am I misremembering?

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Paddy Healy - June 2, 2016

Lovely to hear Liam Daltún being recalled. I learned much from him when I was a member of IWG in mid-sixties
At it’s launch time, Irish Militant was on sale in London and Clonmel Only!!!!

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3. Michael Carley - June 1, 2016

At UCU Congress, a delegate called Concepta Bernadette X, but who prefers to go by Connie, has drawn an explicit parallel between the Prevent duty and the treatment of the Irish in England in the eighties and nineties.

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4. Paddy Healy - June 2, 2016

Media Blackout on Jailing in Eviction Case
Brother of Woman Facing Repossession JAILED FOR TWO WEEKS FOR CONTEMPT in Waterford Circuit Court

HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS CRISIS


SHOCKING INHUMANITY OF EVICTION SYSTEM
He Had Been Prevented From Speaking on Behalf of his sister in Court though she had given him her Power of Attorney

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5. Gewerkschaftler - June 2, 2016

It’s probably not been much covered in the Irish MSM but in France the CGT, other unions, Nuits Debouts etc. have been fighting an stubborn ™ admirable fight against the neolib anti-worker laws the so-called Socialist government wants to impose.

Today railway workers are joining the resistance to the deeper occupation of the country by totalitarian capitalism. The pilots are going to strike. Oil-refinery and chemical factory workers are striking.

The latest polls show only 13% of the French are in favour of the new laws. On the 14th of June there will be a massive country-wide demonstration against the anti-democratic imposition of the law by Presidential fiat.

Here’s hoping that the strikes cause significant disruption and losses in what I insist on calling the European footie-fest. Both UEFA and the current French regime deserve it.

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Gewerkschaftler - June 2, 2016
paulculloty82 - June 2, 2016

Presumably the 21st-century version backs die Linke?

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Alibaba - June 3, 2016

Not only do the workers take strike action, they initiate blocades. And they do all this in a selective, stop-start and on-going way. Not like the tokenist half-day stoppages that I sometimes see happening here. As mentioned by roddy petrol is rationed. Diesel too. Locals ring around one another to notify when stations open up again. That’s telling.

Delighted to learn that ‘On the 14th of June there will be a massive country-wide demonstration against the anti-democratic imposition of the law by Presidential fiat’. This is just the ticket. Some friends of mine are going to France for the European Championship footie. When I mentioned the demo, they told me they will wear the Ireland tops holding placards saying ‘Down with this sort of thing!’ and ‘In solidarity’. Would it were …

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6. roddy - June 2, 2016

A friend who was in France a week ago says petrol was hard to get and even then any available was rationed.He says he was lucky to make it to the boat so the strike is defininitely working.

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sonofstan - June 2, 2016

Heading to Cannes tomorrow for the last rites ofth dying music industry Midem. Will report back if the drug dealers and escorts are on strike….

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Gewerkschaftler - June 2, 2016

Ah – the life of unalloyed hedonism…

… would it were mine. 😉

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Jolly Red Giant - June 2, 2016

I am currently in France and have had no problems getting petrol. I am filling up every 200KM or so but have not had a problem doing so. In fact the only limit I have seen was at an automated pump which said the maximum fill was €99.

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7. roddy - June 2, 2016

My Escort used to go on strike and usually at the most crucial times like 8 oclock on a winter’s morning.That’s the main reason I changed to Vauxhall and me a lifelong Ford man to boot!

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sonofstan - June 2, 2016

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8. Gewerkschaftler - June 3, 2016

After one of the most militant (45 days!) strikes in the US for a while at Verizon – the US communications giant – the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) unions have won a significant victory.

Can the Americans on this site confirm that there has been an increase in labor militancy in the last year in the US?

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CMK - June 3, 2016

I saw on Doug Henwood’s Facebook page the point made that having a credible presidential candidate recognised and self-described as a socialist, backing the strike, did no harm whatsoever. Good news.

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yourcousin - June 6, 2016

From my view in the trades no. But for things are booming and raises and what not are flowing. We have a serious labor shortage here after years of atrophy.

I had long reply written up since I’ve had almost all my family members at one point or another in the CWA. Had the phone company not hosed my dad over I might have very likely gone to work for them as well.

The fight for 15 is still going on but whether it leads to real organizing ala Burgerville Workers Union is doubtful. The thing with the FF15 is that it essentially is just militant lobbying, I would love to see it grow into something more but I’ve got my doubts. Just like the Wal mart workers stuff a few years ago was explicitly tied to NOT organizing. In my state there is a serious lack of organizing of healthcare workers and grocery workers at the organic grocery stores. Which is a shame.

As I said earlier had something even longer written up but I lost it on my phone. And yeah this is the best I could retrieve.

As for Bernie helping the CWA strike. Every candidate for president finds a picket line somewhere to support, doesn’t really go beyond that.

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9. benmadigan - June 3, 2016
Joe - June 3, 2016

Loads. Kids getting caught up in consumerist competition about whose gear is the coolest for starters. Global warming increase caused by increased use of washing machines to wash kids outfits every day for nexters.

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Gewerkschaftler - June 3, 2016

Check – it doesn’t have to be fancy with ties and pleated skirts – some sort of unisex track-suit and simple polo shirt.

Or Mao-suits and caps? In mauve. You’d never loose one of them on a school outing.

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Dr. X - June 3, 2016

Or kids from families that can’t afford the latest cool gear having the sort of hard time that’s avoidable if uniforms are worn.

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Ivorthorne - June 5, 2016

Kids get caught up in consumerist competition. Fair enough. But why then do we not insist on uniforms in all workplaces since the same holds there?

I think North Korea has the right idea.

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LeftAtTheCross - June 3, 2016

Have to admit I’m a big fan of the school uniforms for many reasons, one of which is the easing of the laundry work.

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10. roddy - June 3, 2016

Uniforms are the most ridiculous aspect of schooling. I spent my first 7 years at the local primary where we turned up in jeans,work type boots and even wellingtons.Secondary school was a complete culture shock with blazers,ties ,flanell type trousers etc. It was all part of an oppressive atmosphere and culture of “control” and was one of the reasons I f—-d off out the gate aged 16.The uniform was even more ridiculous for those who stayed on with 18 and 19 year olds ,some of whose contempories were married going round in silly looking regalia.

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WorldbyStorm - June 3, 2016

It depends. I get what you’re saying but the creature goes to a national school where it’s a v-neck jumper over a white shirt and tie (elastic string on it, pre knotted when you buy it) and either a grey skirt or trousers (for the girls) and trousers for the boys. No blazer or stuff like that. I went to school in Kilbarrack where the N.S. had no particular uniform but the Community school/comprehensive had grey jumper grey slacks for the boys, green jumpers slacks/skirts for the girls. I think the reasons people give above about how uniforms easing the burden on families not to have to compete in terms of cool gear was very true then and more so today (if you’ve ever watched Buffy TVS you’ll see kids in schools indicating social differentiation by clothing in a way which I tend to think is pretty destructive). But a key aspect is keeping it a bit informal. The creature goes in two days a week in a sort of grey tracksuit and red polo shirt kind of yoke for the days gym is on and I think that’s good and the rest isn’t over the top.

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Starkadder - June 4, 2016

I agree with you that uniforms are a blessing for lower-income
families. Having said that, one rule I though was absurd was
that both my awful schools had a ban on white socks. We even had regular uniform inspections where the teachers would inspect our socks.

Upon leaving my ghastly secondary school, I celebrated by buying four pairs of white leg coverings.

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Jolly Red Giant - June 4, 2016

It is a complete misnomer to suggest that uniforms in school benefit low income families. The reality is that families with a higher income will have a change of uniform for every day of the week while low income families will have two for a week or maybe only one. In fact income disparity is far more evident with uniforms than it is without uniforms.

Furthermore, once uniforms exist a strict dress code has to be imposed by the school – otherwise students would stop wearing them. Students from lower income families will be those more likely not to have a full uniform available and are as a result more likely to face disciplinary action for not complying with the dress code – further alienating them from the education system.

It is also a falsehood that schools without a school uniform has a situation whereby every student is trying to keep up with the new fashion – it is not the case. When ever that flares up it dies down within days as the students themselves realise the pointlessness of it.

The reality is that, aside from the entire issue of regimenting students, wearing a school uniform results in increased disciplinary pressures on both teachers and students – it gives teachers and students another issue to fight over – and it results in increased tension in the classroom.

In my school there are no school uniforms for teenagers, it has a relaxed atmosphere and clothing by and large is never an issue. There have been a number of attempts to introduce a uniform that have continuously been rejected by parents, students and teachers. Indeed the only people that tend to vote in favour are those with first time students in the school whose children have come from a primary school with a uniform. The last time there was a consultation only 1st and 2nd year parents were balloted (you can see the logic behind the move) which led to the student council organising a petition among all the students in the school opposing uniforms and getting practically every student in the school (and most of the teachers) to willingly sign it.

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WorldbyStorm - June 4, 2016

It’s interesting. Clearly your experience isn’t that of others – and I’m intrigued at how you can be so certain as to the negative impacts or lack of practical utility of uniform schools when by your own admission you teach in one which doesn’t have a uniform – and while I wouldn’t at all dismiss it at all I’m also interested that by contrast the overwhelming consensus here seems to be that uniforms aren’t a bad idea.

The practical side is so obvious to me from my own direct experience on a daily basis of having a uniform that is easily identifiable, etc, etc that I’m unsure how that can be contested.

I would have to disagree with you that income disparity is more obvious with rather than without uniform – that doesn’t tally with my own personal experience (going to schools in working class areas with uniforms) or that of my partner who teaches in the VEC in a working class area or in the creatures school which is in a solidly working class area and contrary to the sentiment in your school there’s huge support for uniforms.

So in that respect there’s no reason for fighting or conflict since everyone is on the same page. I’m also unconvinced that fashions have no part to play in non-uniform contexts.

Indeed ironically the one school where I personally experienced non-uniforms was in a fee-charging one where I repeated my Leaving Cert as part of an experimental exchange between the Community School I went to and that school (both were nominally Jesuit hence the exchange). There there were uniforms up to 5th and 6th year where you could, within certain restrictions (wearing a tie) wear what you liked. Without question it was more hassle on a personal level having to find clothes for every day when compared and contrasted to the previous experience I had in Community School.

But that said I’m more than willing to accept that once students hit their teens there may be a different dynamic and I’m open to all those involved having a say. I tend to the view there’s no particular right way in these matters – in some contexts where people want uniforms well and good, where they don’t well and good, all that has been pointed to here is that the experience of those who have had them or whose children have had them is fairly positive and had some good side effects.

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WorldbyStorm - June 4, 2016

White socks Starkadder, that was cruel and unusual. Shudder. You have my sympathies, seriously. We had dark grey socks. What I loved was the way that people bent the uniform code in the Community School. It was never just slacks, cords would do grand, etc, etc. It was kind of fun. We didn’t have a tie which was a blessing at the time – though I actually like ties myself as completely unfunctional but aesthetically pleasing decorative items.

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fergal - June 4, 2016

All schools- be they progressive or to coin a phrase ‘old school’ are about social control- this is the real issue, talking about uniforms is like talking about the colour you want to paint when somebody else has taken all the paint!
Ivan Illych ‘Deschooling society’
Paul Goodman’s ‘ Compulsory Miseducation’
John Holt- ‘ How children fail’
Tolstoy on education and of course the only school that is truly democratic and free- Summerhill by AS Neill
Anybody? Anybody? Or have we all given up on freedom in education and just want to talk about……uniforms!

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WorldbyStorm - June 4, 2016

I’d have to say I’m very dubious about deschooling or homeschooling. I think it’s the wrong way forward. I appreciate entirely the problematic aspects of schools in relation to socialisation to certain societal norms and that’s something I’d be profoundly against, I’d be in favour of universalism – a single school system free etc, with no private/other schools, and secularisation of school spaces during the ‘ordinary’ school day. Of those you mention I think Holt and the Summerhill approach are most interesting and useful. A certain deformalisation of structures would be a worthy experiment on a larger scale within such a universal system to see how it goes.

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Jolly Red Giant - June 4, 2016

WbS – your assumption is that while I currently teach in a school that doesn’t have a uniform, I have not taught in a school that did – I have and it was an utter pain in the ass from a teaching point of view and was a constantly source of tension between teachers and students.

I will also contend my previous assertion that income disparity is more pronounced with a uniform. It is absolutely impossible to distinguish between students from well-off backgrounds and those from poorer backgrounds in my school – and we have students from very deprived families right up to the children of owners of large and profitable businesses. At the same time there was little difficulty in making such a distinction in my previous schools with a uniform. Students would have frayed collars, dirty kneecaps on their trousers, torn hems on the girls skirts, frayed cuffs on jumpers, oil stains on ties, hand-me-downs etc etc etc.

I would accept your contention that most people support a uniform but I would argue that this is because the vast majority of people are conditioned by the fact that they came through an education system that predominantly has a uniform code and they are in constant receipt of propaganda that uniforms are cheaper, that they mask social inequality etc etc – when the opposite is actually the case. In fact school uniforms are just as much of a money making racket as the repeated new editions of school books.

The real test is that the parents of students that don’t have a school uniform will doggedly resist any attempt to introduce a uniform despite all the propaganda about the ‘benefits’ of uniforms.

And all of this is before the very real and tangible aspects of the use of the education system for social control and school uniforms are an integral component of this social control and the conditioning of young people.

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WorldbyStorm - June 4, 2016

your assumption is that while I currently teach in a school that doesn’t have a uniform, I have not taught in a school that did – I have and it was an utter pain in the ass from a teaching point of view and was a constantly source of tension between teachers and students.

I was simply taking your stated experience as you’d presented it to us. But keep in mind this discussion is purely subjective. You’ve had that experience, I taught too briefly at second level and didn’t. Others here who are parents have a different experience again.

I will also contend my previous assertion that income disparity is more pronounced with a uniform. It is absolutely impossible to distinguish between students from well-off backgrounds and those from poorer backgrounds in my school – and we have students from very deprived families right up to the children of owners of large and profitable businesses. At the same time there was little difficulty in making such a distinction in my previous schools with a uniform. Students would have frayed collars, dirty kneecaps on their trousers, torn hems on the girls skirts, frayed cuffs on jumpers, oil stains on ties, hand-me-downs etc etc etc.

Again, that’s your subjective experience. No problem there but those on here including myself who have had different subjective experience in this area both as a teacher and as a student in different environments disagree.

I would accept your contention that most people support a uniform but I would argue that this is because the vast majority of people are conditioned by the fact that they came through an education system that predominantly has a uniform code and they are in constant receipt of propaganda that uniforms are cheaper, that they mask social inequality etc etc – when the opposite is actually the case. In fact school uniforms are just as much of a money making racket as the repeated new editions of school books.

Well where does that propaganda come from? And who would be quite so gullible as to unthinkingly accept it. I think people on here who would be overwhelmingly left wing might be just able to see through that and work out from their own lived experience whether it is easier to have a uniform and cheaper to clothe kids in that day in day out during the school week and obvious practicalities about cleaning said uniforms etc for the children. And so on. I agree uniforms can be a money making racket. Personally I’d do away with crests, etc, etc and specified shops. Thankfully where the creature goes there’s almost none of that, trousers, skirts, etc can be generic.

To be honest I was fairly unmoved either way about uniforms before the creature came on the scene and perhaps in a sort of reflexive ‘liberal’ way a bit against when they went into school. But much of my approach as should be obvious from the last ten years on this site is driven by pragmatism. Anything that makes life a bit cheaper a bit easier a bit less complicated and I’m there. And at the moment that certainly is the case in relation to seeing a child grow from four to eight through the school system and have that particular issue taken care of reasonably easily. Now, later on, as I already noted, I’d hope their voice would come more into play in all this.

The real test is that the parents of students that don’t have a school uniform will doggedly resist any attempt to introduce a uniform despite all the propaganda about the ‘benefits’ of uniforms.

That’s not necessarily a test of anything. It works both ways. If people are used to a uniform and are conditioned then logically the opposite will occur.

And all of this is before the very real and tangible aspects of the use of the education system for social control and school uniforms are an integral component of this social control and the conditioning of young people.

Yeah, but that’s a completely different argument. And frankly social control is a much deeper thing than relatively cosmetic issues such as uniforms. In that respect I’m with fergal and his questions upthread.

And all social and economic systems have in the generality tended to uniforms in their education sectors. And to be honest there are good practical reasons for that when one has say primary or young secondary students. In groups outside the school its much easier to identify them and keep them together.

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Ivorthorne - June 5, 2016

I went to a rural primary school. There was an optional uniform and most chose not to wear it.

At secondary, there was a uniform. Nothing too crazy. At some point, I decided not to bother wearing it. I ditched the jumper and typically worse a short shirt and grey jeans which approximated the official uniform. Rarely got any hassle over it.

I mostly objected to the uniform on the grounds that it was an unreasonable restriction on one’s freedom of expression.

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11. yourcousin - June 3, 2016

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fergal - June 4, 2016

World- from above I don’t think deschooling or homeschooling are the ways to go but I think they are part of a bigger picture- a nation of Summerhills would be pretty cool!!!

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WorldbyStorm - June 4, 2016

Then I’m with you, bar the boarding school bit! Though I guess that as an option…

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fergal - June 4, 2016

No fan of boarding school either, so snap!

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WorldbyStorm - June 4, 2016

Heheh, I figure half an hour of a meeting and we’d have the issues sorted!

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12. botheredbarney - June 4, 2016

Muhammad Ali/Cassius Clay – Dance like a butterfly, Sting like a bee – was a symbol of black freedom and achievement. He inspired Afro-Americans and people around Africa. He demonstrated physical stamina and fighting technique. He had the courage of his convictions and refused the draft during the Vietnam War. After being suspended by the boxing board he made a great comeback in regaining his world heavyweight title. May he rest in peace. May his family be comforted by the sympathy of millions.

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Alibaba - June 4, 2016

There is a generally held belief, I suggest, that there are three things that should never go together: boxing, politics and clowning. Muhammad Ali combined them all and he did so magnificantly. We were teasured by his existence and so saddened by his death.

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Dr. X - June 4, 2016

Does anyone know if the whole of this interview is available anywhere?

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WorldbyStorm - June 4, 2016

Very true Alibaba. Clowning is much underrated!

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sonofstan - June 4, 2016

I swear to God – just hearing about Ali’s death now, and mourning a great man like all sane humans, and then you look BTL at the Guardian obit and you get mean spirited bile. What are they like?

One of my clearest childhood memories is listening to the Foreman fight in Zaire on my little transistor radio in the dead of night on AFN and Joe Frazier co-commenting and deliberately referring to Ali and Cassius Clay throughout

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13. Jolly Red Giant - June 4, 2016

I must note the sad passing of Colm Halpin – a long-time activist of the Socialist Party who died last week. Colm was a genuine, decent and unassuming man that I am glad I was able to call a comrade and a friend.

http://socialistparty.ie/2016/05/comrade-colm-halpin-1950-2016/

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WorldbyStorm - June 4, 2016

Yes, I have a friend who was a good friend of his too. Very sad to hear that.

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14. roddy - June 4, 2016

One man who successfully combined boxing and politics up here was Alex Maskey MLA. Such was his tough guy image that he once “shood away” a number of masked INLA men who attempted to hijack a SF rally by clambering on the stage to read some statement or other.At times of crises ,”Irish News” cartoonist Ian Knox portrays him accompanying McGuinness etc into meetings wearing a pair of green boxing gloves and appearing unshaven and “menacing” looking.!

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