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news report
 Saturday June 07, 2003 23:52 by see ya in court
 Looking at the Northern ireland school's league tables, surprise, surprise we find that Lagan college is at the bottom of the schools league for GCSE results in the whole of the belfast area, out of all the schools in belfast. Lagan is fifth from the bottom of the league table for all schools in northern ireland. What does this tell us about senior management at lagan college. It indicates clearly that the senior management at Lagan, who all drive plush expensive limosines, don't give a fuck about providing children who choose integration a proper education. They are clearly sending out the message that the majority of integrated children don't deserve an education. Only 44% of Lagans grammar stream get a GCSE grade above C. Lagan college is not only failing the poor and children of the working class who choose integrated education, but it is also failing the rich who choose integrated education. This may suit the rich fine, as they can all go into daddies buisness, or join daddies company so the lack of provision of education doesn't effect them as much. But the dire lack of an adequate standard of education will affect working class children more, because they will be leaving school with no qualifications, and no cushy job courtesy of a rich relative. In addition to operating an exclusive grammar school for the rich. Lagan discriminates against the non grammar stream less well off children, at GCSE level, by putting these children into the bottom streams for GCSE results. In the 2 bottom streams teaching is geared towards achieving a C grade or below. Grammar school children are pushed into the top GCSE stream whereby the teaching is geared towards achieving Grades above C. Studying the league table children attending St Gabriels on the Ardoyne Rd, one of the most deprived areas of belfast, leave St Gabriels with more qualifications than a Lagan college school pupil. Similarly a child attending Boys Model in north belfast will leave that school with more qualifications than a Lagan college pupil. The question must be asked, why is Lagan the worst school in belfast academically?, it can't be because of teething problems, Lagan was established over 20 years ago. Leaving aside the superficial glossy integrated flagship awards, what has Lagan done for its working class pupils. At the best it has neglected to provide working class children with an education of substance, and at its worst it clearly doesn't give a fuck about the well being, welfare and educational ambitions of its working class pupils. Lagan believes these pupils to be scum, filth that don't deserve an education, blaming a child's educational failure on their social background, its easy to blame the children, when in actual fact it is the fault of senior management at Lagan college for failing to provide education for these children whilst conning parents into effectively funding thin air. Lagan college pupils are the last to experience any educational benefits from additional funding, where is the money going? You've only to look at the flash expensive limosines of Lagan's senior management to see, where parents and the state's money is going. |
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Comments (15 of 15)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15Capitalists always telling us to stop whinning, nobody told us life would be fair. Lagan college is the living proof of this. Lagan is doing a great job, parents who choose integrated education for their children, should be punished, as Lagan is punishing their children. Well done to Lagan for punishing working class protestants and catholics for daring to choose intergrated education.
and tell us nothing about the quality of education at a school, only its results in competitive exams. So, is Lagan College fully integrated, i.e. does it include children with disabilities? Or children whose first language is not English? If so, maybe that's one of the reasons why it's where it is in the League Tables. Anyone with any sense should be against League tables - they encourage the worst kind of capitalist education system. Cop yourself on, whoever posted this and think a bit about the purpose of exams etc.
The campaign for free education (cfe) http://groups.yahoo.com/group/campaignforfreeeducation/ are holding a meeting in Conways on Parnell St on Wed at 7 for all those who are interested in fighting inequality in education.
Lagan frowns upon children with disabilities and learning difficulties, because it can't even give normal able bodied/mentally able children a proper education, there's no way it will adapt its educational environment to meet the needs of disabled/children with learning difficulties or children whose first language is not english.
Several parents one of whom is a founding member of Lagan, are taking senior management at Lagan to court on a number of issues. As yet the disability discrimination act is not extended to cover education in Northern Ireland, but hopefully the parents will get a change of senior management at Lagan.
Lagan was recently approached and asked if it could accept refugee children, it declined. There are foreign students at lagan but these are not refugees/asylum seeker children.
The behaviour of certain teachers and senior management does bring shame and disgrace on Lagan, it is the children of Lagan who are the real heroes in this mess. These children from working class loyalist and republican backgrounds can put aside their differences and fight together against Lagans incompetent corrupt senior management and campaign for a change in Senior management in order to get the education these children deserve.
The league tables are at least fact. Lagan operates the very worst kind of unequal capitalist system within its walls, by discriminating against working class children in terms of providing these children with the same eduational opportunities as its exclusive grammar stream for children of the rich.
The facts speak for themselves, children at St Gabriels and Boys Model two schools in the most deprived area of belfast can get more qualifications than children at Lagan.
How do you expect the working class children at Lagan to make their way in the world, with no qualifications. Obviously Lagan expects them to end up at Sainsburys pushing trolleys about, or in Dawn Lowry's dads RUC special branch. Working class parents don't agree with the career propects or lack of prospects offered by Lagan.
The tables show that information is not available for Lagan (NA). They are not bottom. Therefore from what you have posted, most of it is based on a misreading of the table.
Clearly you have some issues with Lagan - which will exist in most schools. Could you explain what these are?
Your position outlined reduces education to one of exam results. This buys into the competition and artificial nature of learning. You accept the notion under capitalism that exam results = end all and be all.
This is not true. Obviously results are important to the boss class (which is why they have their own schools for their offspring etc) But we have all met educated people that have few 'qualifications'. On the other hand there are well qualified individuals who find it hard to think.
Schools should be places of enjoyment without the grind stone of exams being hung around the necks of children. If the bosses want pupils to be trained for business, let them pay for it when people leave school.
That the SP run Child Prostitution Rings.
You're missing the point, why should children who choose intergrated education be penalised and deprived of the chance to get qualifications which even children in St Gabriels and the Boys model school are given the opportunity to attain.
In an ideal world qualifications don't matter but in the unfair cut throat capitalist society we live in, working class children who choose integration will be at severe disadvantage when it comes to entering the competitive capitalist job market. Its not so bad for the children of the Rich and well off, whose parents own buisnesses and who can afford private tuition outside school, these children have choices to go into daddies/mummies buisness etc. Working class children do not have these safety nets to fall back on. They will slip through the net, and end up on the dole or pushing shopping trolleys in Sainsburys.
Hardly anything in that articule is true.I actually go to lagan and i think its a good school. Yes to people in senior mangemeant do drive expensive cars but why shouldn' t they. They do hav a good program for people with learning disalilites and maybe dat it isn't doing so well is because it has a wide range of people with different strengths and weeknesses. Another reason is that the school is short of money. I wudn't say anyone in the grammar stream will get handouts from their parents i.e. jobs.
and so what about league tables there just lists. What really matters is that people do their best on the day. Also may i state that the intake of the school is going up due to high demand so if it was awful why would people send their children to it.
THE GRAMMAR STREAM IS NOT FULL OF RICH CHILDREN. MANY PEOPLE OF LOWER CLASSES GET MOVED UP TO IT.
I to attend Lagan College, I'm a sixth year working on Physics, Music and ICT. I certainly am not the perfect student, just recently I was put on report for lack of attendance. I just couldn't get myself up in the mornings so I was always late in school, your argument is that they don't care, then why was that issue addressed and not ignored? Next the "senior management" are very supportive, I run a band in school, and the vice principal is extremely supportive of us. He owns his own PA system which he brings into school for our concerts. Lagan doesn't get as much funding as other schools because it is integrated, and also you must take note, it includes a grammar and secondary scheme. Not many schools do this, you can expect the results to be "lower" because of this secondary scheme. If the pupils enjoy going to school, and get the grades "they" want, then I see no reason for you to worry about it
i attend Lagan College and i think youll find what your talking is bullshit to say the least!! I am in the grammar stream and did excellent in my gcses. Lagan is an amazing school, and anyone who tries to discriminate against it is obviously biased and against integrated education. The teachers are all really supportive and a great help, the school is really inspirational and displays what the future of n.ireland should really be like!... Unlike other schools lagan accepts all abilitys,races and religions and helps them strive to their best.. so Lagan is really one of the best all round schools around, and has alot of things to be proud off unlike many other schools!!! Lagan is amazing
I have been to several schools in my life throughout Northen Ireland and never have i found a school as good as Lagan.
It is such an inspiring school and i have made many different friends from all backrounds. It is so accepting of all races and abilities. The grammer stream is brilliant, and we have had several cambridge students!!
So HAHAHAHAHA
I am a past pupil of Lagan College and i am currently at university doing a degree. I got good GCSEs and so did the majority in my year at the time. I also have other family members who are pupils at present. These people commenting on Lagan in a negative way, really do know jack shit!! It would help if they knew the slightest thing about the school which they obviously don't. The grammer stream is excellent and people regardless of background etc get moved up and down all the time.
Also, harping on about the management with limosines etc, i mean please GET A LIFE!! Jealousy does not become a person. What car a person drives or not has nothing to do with anyone else and really shows the mentality of the person who is so obviously 'disturbed' by Lagan. I mean what does that have to do with what the school achieves! Someone needs to wake up!
Integration is the only way to go in Nothern Ireland and the school does an excellent job at it. I learnt not to be narrow minded and except people for what they are thanks to my time at the school. Its should only be condoned not condemned for what it has achieved. For every child who has left and became a better person regardless of GCSE results is a step in the right direction for Northern Ireland. I think the school is excellent and it did well for me and countless others. So anyone who reads this, take comments from those who know a thing or to about the school and not brainless twats who have issues.
I'm not sure how much of the article is true (but I believe most of it.) I am a past pupil og Lagan who was bullied until I was afraid of going in every day. The staff did NOTHING to support me and in fact forced me to sit next to the people who were doing these things. They used to throw rocks, apples cores and perhaps more painfully, insults. The teachers really did nothing to help, some even laughed in my face and told me to stop being so sensitive. My parents let me stay off school because I was that scared. Lagan staff are AWFUL at dealing with these situations. I have, since then, moved to a better school where money and grades are not the issue, and there is absolutely no room for bullying. The pupils are also publicly told who is "better" than them overall after every set of exams and asked to stand in front of the whole year, making everyone else feel like a complete failure. We also spent the whole of first year being reminded that the school is (and I quote my teacher), "A Christian school which happens to accept people from other backgrounds).
So, all in all, I hate Lagan. It's HELL.