The Knowledge Econonmy is for you and you but not you.

The knowledge economy is one of the great tropes of modern political discourse. It righfully takes its place as one of the key strategic considerations for all policy makers in how to manage the transiton of the economy. However the knowledge economy does not in and of itself promise a bright future for all. The knowledge economy will only help those who are given the opportunity to skill up to take advantage of it. The new minister for Education might think the govt. is providing equal opportunity to raise all boats but the evidence says otherwise.

There is a continued social inequality in access and entry to higher education among particular socio-economic groups according to the Higher Education Authority/ ESRI’s recent report –“ Hidden Disadvantage, a study of the low particpation in Higher Education by the Non-Manual Group”. While the trend has been for increased particpation in Higher education one social group, the non-manual, is participating less and less in higher education.

So who are the non-manual group? Well they are 1 in 5 of the adult population of the southern state but they are split between intermediate non-manual (i.e Garda Seargeants, Govt. Executivbe officials) and “other non-manual”workers. Its the latter of course who are facing the obstacles. Typically their occupational positions are bus drivers, service sector workers etc. They are a demographic in south Irish society that is experiencing many barriers to participation in Hgher education and rather than seeing their equality of opportunity extended it is instead being restricted.

The knowledge economy or Smart economy has been defined as a strategy of using high value add roles to generate further economic activity. But to whose benefit. Its been well noted that the completion a higher education course contributes to higher earnings over a person's lifespan. While not the be all and end all greater access to Higher Education for all demographic groups will contribute to the process of solving class inequalities "not by making the working class more middle class, but in working at dismantling and sharing out the economic, social and cultural capital which goes with middle-class status".

The average rate of participation in Higher Education in the south is 55%. The Govt. has a stated target of 54% for all socio-economic groups by 2020. Yet the Non Manual group is sliding the other direction - from 29 per cent in 1998 to between 25 and 27 per cent in 2004. And rather than be alarmed at these figures the Govt. instead decided to wield the axe on educational equality of opportunity by cutting funding for school infrastructure, cutting the student maintenance grant by 5%, scrapping the Millennium Partnership Fund, which provides financial assistance for further and higher education students who are experiencing financial difficulties while attending college.

The Higher Education Authority report demonstrates that such an approach will only exacerbate the situation. For students in the non-manual demographic the consideration of cost of education plays a role either due to the direct cost of education or the prospect of lost income by going straight into education. However as the report notes the recent collapse of the labour market will remove the lure to bypass Higher education yet failure to tackle the other factors cotributing to the low participation rate by this social group will result in even greater marginalisation.

The other factors contributing to low particpation rates by the non-manual group are varied but one is key - Socio-economic background :your background determines the forms of cultural, social and economic capital and resources you have which differentially frames the choices you can make.

This means that "Young people from non-manual backgrounds do not possess the cultural capital necessary to succeed within an educational system geared towards the dominant class." i.e if neither your siblings, your parents, your neighbours or many in your learning environment have experienced Higher Education or see it as a viable educational option then you are at a severe disadvantage.

But even having made it to a Higher Education faciltiy as an other-non-manual worker background student the odds are still stacked against you. The other-non-manual group has a drop out rate of 17 per cent compared to the average of about 10%.

And considering for a moment other demographic groups as marginalised we see that the dropout rates are particularly high among those from non-employed backgrounds (three-in-ten), raising questions over the adequacy of supports (financial and otherwise) at HE to assist those from disadvantaged backgrounds in meeting the costs of fully participating in college life and integrating into the full range of student (academic and non-academic) activities. As noted above this will not improve with the cutting of the maintenace grant or the dropping of the millenium partnership fund.

The Govt. will plead lack of funds but its not solely an issue of funds as repeatedly students noted the secondary school phenomenon of the "honours class" being streamed for extra attention with the remaining students getting infrequent or unenthousiastic attention. Career guidance was frequently absent and there was a demonstrable lack of understanding regarding financial considerations among students. The resolution of these issues or at the least a serious contribution to resolvlng them does not require significant sums of money.

Instead of spending money the govt. could consider ways of ensuring that the negative associations created around learning need to tackled from the very start. The cycle of exclusion needs to be broken and once broken that process of change can become self sustaining.

What is Sinn Fein’s policy for increasing particpation by certain demographic groups in further education. In the 6 counties what have we done to push this issue? Well the tackling of the 11plus is a big effort. The fairly twisted practice of sorting kids at 11 years old is surely one of the most restrictive obstacles facing equality of opportunity in the north of this country. Its not proving an easy road to travel but its a worthwhile one. And down here in the other state the party's push for universal childcare, calls for the provision of adult education free to all up to third level qualifications, the abolition of part-time fees and grant part-time students eligibility for maintenance grants; and third level access programmes for schools with a low take-up of places are all solid ideas to change the socio-economic dynamic that is forcing one section of society further and further into the margins.

The danger is that the non-manual workers and indeed other workers will become trapped in a type of structural unemployment - a whole segment of society left behind in the so called knowledge economy and all because nobody was willing to break the cycle of exclusion.

As was noted before here Working class kids aint thick. They just have more obstacles to overcome than most. Its about time some one gave them some support and I cant see Brian Hayes or Mary Coughlan doing anything to help.

Shhh. Rewrite at Work - Budgetary Loopholes in the Public Sector Agreement.

As has been noted the new public sector pay deal, which is going through its consultation at the moment, raises as many questions as it tries to answer. Some commentators have suggested that the deal is nothing more than an attempt to mend fences by the Govt. for the purposes of shoring up a weakened voter base. Regretably there may be some truth in that and certainly it would be fairly typical of the govt. to focus more on the optics of the situation rather than to honestly seek a solution. 

 

Michael Taft, on Irish Left Review, has conducted a review of the agreement and focussed closely on point 1.28:

 

'The implementation of this Agreement is subject to no currently unforeseen budgetary deterioration.' ,  - which is a get out of jail card as big as you will ever find anywhere.

 

The one consistent mark of the Dept. of Finance has been its inability to predict budgetary movements with any accuracy. Detioration beyond what they have foreseen has almost become a rule. So is this agreement just a feel good hearkening back to the days of partnership or is there some merit here. There may well be some merit in the agreement but only if the Govt, were to approach the deal in an open and honest manner in the spirit of partnership rather than the spirit of fear. His post it reproduced below.

 

As Michael Taft notes:

 

"

The Government insisted on inserting the following phrase into the proposed public sector pay deal:

 

'The implementation of this Agreement is subject to no currently unforeseen budgetary deterioration.'

Now the Government is busily rewriting this. Apparently, the agreement is no longer subject to currently unforeseen budgetary deterioration. Indeed, to even refer to the Government's clause is now considered to be irresponsible.

'The department also described as "a red herring" criticisms which have been raised about the so-called "get-out-of-jail" card in the agreement. This states that the implementation of the measures set out in the deal is subject to there being no unforeseen deterioration in the Government's finances. The Government would follow through on all the commitments in the deal except in very exceptional circumstances such as another major financial crisis, said the department yesterday.'

There is a good reason why the Government is busily rewriting the agreement.

For whatever about the 'unforeseen' part, there is little doubt that the budgetary situation is deteriorating. And Ministers are getting a bit touchy about this.

The Government is projecting the deficit this year to come in at -11.6 percent - only fractionally lower than last year. Maintaining this level is crucial both economically and politically; slippage would call into question the very premise of Government strategy. .

Slippage 1: In the last few weeks the CSO recorded GDP levels more than €1 billion below the Government's projections published in December. In addition, on foot of the recent Quarterly Household Report, unemployment figures were revised upwards from - 12.6 percent to 13.4 percent. Out of all this, last year's deficit has to be revised downwards again -from -11.7 to -11.8 percent; admittedly marginal, but downwards nonetheless.

Slippage 2: After the first three months of this year, the Government is already off-target. By March, tax revenue was -3.6 percent below target, down from February's undershoot of -1.3 percent. The Government expected tax receipts this year to be €2 billion below last year's level. In the first quarter alone, tax receipts are already €1.2 billion under target. The slippage is getting slippier.

It's not just that the Government's strategy is coming under internal pressure, it's also getting a wallop of external pressure.

The EU Commission in its most recent statement on Irish public finances has warned the Government that (a) its growth projections are too optimistic, (b) expenditure will over-run, and (c) it will have to engage in 'additional' consolidation measures (more spending cuts/tax increases beyond what the Government has already projected). Even if the Government comes in on target, the EU Commission wants Ireland to 'consolidate' further to bring down overall debt levels.

The IMF also gives the Government similar warnings and argues that the Government must cut spending even further if it is to bring the deficit below -3% by 2014 (the Maastricht guideline).

The final straw on this deteriorating camel comes from the Central Bank. While much attention was paid to their projection that the economy will return to growth by the second half of the year, some of the fine print was glossed over. Namely, that GDP will be well below the Government's projections - by nearly 3 percent by 2011 in nominal terms. This will put even more pressure on the deficit.

All this will lead to 'budgetary deterioration'. How much is hard to say but there are certain symbolic targets. For instance, the Government is projecting a small decline in the deficit this year. If it actually worsens - no matter how much - the optics will be bad. If it goes beyond -12 percent, it will look particularly bad. That this is certainly possible can be seen from the Bank for International Settlement's projection of a deficit of -12.2 percent for this year.

It is doubtful that such a slide would result in the Government tearing up the agreement if it is accepted (though this cannot be ruled out). But what it would certainly mean is that there would be little chance of reversing any pay cuts in 2011.

No wonder that the Government wants to shift the goalposts of the agreement by redefining 'deterioration' as 'another financial crisis' (does Quinn count as such a crisis?). They hope that it will take everyone's mind off the actually existing deterioration and the thin to non-existent chance of any pay claw-back.

It is the ultimate in ostrich-like indifference to the reality around us. The Government may want to find a soft bed of sand to stick its head in - that doesn't mean we have to.

"

Victory for Irish & US Peace Movement

Press Statement Peace & Neutrality Alliance

In Jan. 09 Ed Horgan, International Secretary of the Irish Peace and Neutrality Alliance, was granted a 10 year visa by the Bush Administration. In Jan, 2010 the Obama Administration revoked the visa after Ed had been invited to speak at a conference on rendition and torture in Duke University in North Carolina.

After an intensive campaign by PANA Ed was granted a 3 month visa and will be attending the conference.

This was a victory for the Irish and US peace movement. It was a defeat for those in favour of war and who seek to destroy free speech. A powerpoint presentation of his address in on the PANA website: http://www.pana.ie/

PANA would like to thank all those involved in the campaign. PANA believes that the Irish people and the people of the United States have a vested interest in ending these wars and the termination of the use of Shannon Airport in these wars needs to happen immediately. The reality is that it is only by ending these wars can economic stability be restored. Our demand is clear, JOBS AT HOME NO WAR ABROAD.

for more information contact:
Roger Cole, Chair of PANA Tel: 087-2611597
Seamas Rathigan PRO of PANA Tel: 086-8369793

The end of the line for the SDLP?

The piece below was received recently and is published below.



In January 2009 Mark Durkan MP said in his key-note address to the SDLP “Deep in me is a belief in this party and the people in it. We have it in us to recapture lost votes and recover lost ground”...then collapse. Mark Durkan had his head in the clouds. He was speaking to a party on the road to collapse with no political direction. What kind of a leader steps down at a cross-roads for its party when it is slowly splintering? A weak one. A strong leader would have taken the party beyond the cross-roads then allowed them to build their own future with continued support.



Was he pushed? “If it was a matter of being forced out I offered my resignation a couple of years ago and it was refused, declined,” he said. This doesn’t seem to me as someone who has a “deep belief in this party and the people in it”. The SDLP are finished as a political party. Is there only viable option a merger with Fianna Fail and becoming an all-island party and lose their own identity? This would be an obvious desperate attempt to try and claw back some credibility with Nationalist voters on the question of a united Ireland. and in truth, would Fianna Fail want them?, other than to use them as a stepping stone into all Ireland politics, personally I can’t see any benefits in adopting that” lame-duck”.



MLA Margaret Ritchie is in the frame as one of the fore runners for the role of leader of the SDLP, which in turn suggests a lack of confidence in her ability to succeed Eddie McGrady as south Down’s next MP, yet more signs of a party in disarray?..



Mark Durkan tells us that one of the reasons he is leaving his post as party leader is because he is unable to fulfil a “dual role as Assembly Member and MP”. This view is contradicted by his party colleague, Allister McDonald, the south Belfast MP, who believes the opposite and that he indeed can carry out both roles. Again, opposing voices in an ever dividing camp.


So where does this leave Mark Durkan? Durkan is content to step back from leadership and try to get re-elected to Westminster so he can sit and take a salary for back slapping and tooth-less deals, and ultimately follow in the footsteps of other isolated SDLP members such as Gerry Fitt. I wonder how long he can get away with it before declaring himself an independent in Westminster? Or becoming a life-peer? Baron Durkan maybe?



When the date for the Westminster election is set in 2010 the SDLP may have a new leader but with the same problems. The main one being the rise of Sinn Fein. Sinn Fein are the only party that continually grow electorally and will continue to dwarf the SDLP. With Sinn Feins Martina Anderson continuing her ongoing hard work with her party activists SF have left the SDLP at their heels and this gap will grow and will inevitably lead to the election of Martina Anderson as MP for Foyle. The only choice in my opinion, as her and her party’s hard work ethic, at doors in Derry on a nightly basis with updates of campaign news and views, while others you only see when they want something from you, and not when you want something from them.



Some Durkan supporters say he has a good chance of being re-elected for Foyle next year, but he is not a certainty. As we all know Foyle was a safe SDLP seat under John Hume, but since Hume left, the SDLP position has weakened. In the 2005 Westminster election the gap between the SDLP and Sinn Féin halved, and it is likely that Durkan got some strategic votes from unionists.

Mark Durkan knows the writing is on the wall for the SDLP and would be more than content to sit in Westminster and fiddle as the SDLP burns.



Personally, I look forward to the election of Martina Anderson as Foyles first republican MP and the continued rise of Sinn Fein.

15 years old and murdered.

Its hard to even contemplate whats happened in Tyrrelstown. 15 years old, bright future as a soccer player, a good kid trying to stay out of trouble and just trying to live life to the full.

And then its all taken away in a flash for no reason save his name was Toyosi Shitabbey and he was born in Nigeria.

A shameful day and our prayers and sympathies are with his family and friends.

Dublin Commemoration - Sean Crowe's speech.

The excellent Cedar Lounge Revolution blog has Seán Crowe's Easter speech up in full. Its reproduced below.

Sean highlights that whats happened in the the southern state has been a wholesale protecting of the rich at the expense of the poor. Its been socialism for the rich and capitalism for the poor - the rich have all the protection the state can offer but the ordinary people must make their own way and devil take the hindmost.

The Sindo rich list published recently which shows that the richest 300 people in the southern state have a combined wealth of €50 billion just shows how successsful Fianna Fail golden circle socialism has been for the small circle. Its definitely time for an alternative.

Táim brod agus go hán sasta ag caint sa an ait seo i Baile Ath Cliath le an comoradh Eiri na Casc naoi deag is a se deag.

Easter for republicans is a time for reflection, remembering and celebrating what has been achieved in the past.

We remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice, laying down their lives that we would have the opportunity as a people and a nation to be free and independent.

A time when we honour and remember friends and comrades who have died.

I would like now to remember a friend and life-long republican, Chrissy Heffernan, who passed away on Thursday. We extend our deepest sympathy to her husband Vinnie, her children, grandchildren and to her extended family

Ar Dheis De go raibh a Anam.

Easter is also a time of pride in our heritage.

From the start of the First World War, Liberty Hall displayed a banner draper across the front of the building stating “We serve neither King nor Kaiser, we serve Ireland.”

It was under this slogan that a small band of Irish men and Irish women marched out on Easter Sunday to take on the might of the British Empire.

The 1916 Easter Rising was a beacon of hope for oppressed people all over the world. Both Ho Chi Minh and Mahatma Gandhi refer to our Easter Rising as the start of the inspiration for their own liberation struggles.

The leaders of 1916 had a clear vision that their rebellion was not only about achieving Irish freedom but was also about creating a more equal and just society. It was James Connolly who said:

“The national movement must demonstrate to the people of Ireland that our nationalism is not merely a morbid idealising of the past but is also capable of formulating a distinct and definite answer to the problems of the present and a political economic creed capable of adjustment to the wants of the future.”

That is still true today, more than 100 years later.

Our political philosophy cannot be about solely idealising the past. It has to about tackling the economic problems of today and building a equal and just society.

Dublin was the catalyst of the revolution that was the Easter Rising and the Tan War that was to follow.

Dublin was the centre of trade union resistance during the 1913 Lock-Out.

O’Connell Street where we stand today, has been the scene of the biggest public protests in Ireland, including the trade union PAYE tax marches of the 1980s, the hunger strike protests and the protests against the Iraq War in 2003.

Dublin can be the catalyst for social revolution in 2010

The revolution that is needed to right the wrongs and the decimation of our public services.

Th wrongs including the ongoing attempts to divide workers in to public and private, union and non-union.

A social revolution that will halt the utter waste of talented workers thrown on the scrap heap of unemployment.

It is utterly wrong that ordinary working families and future generations who will have to pay for the casino banking and property speculation of the wealthy.

Do the super rich, the golden circle, the developers, the speculators always have to stay rich while a large proportion of our population always have to stay poorer?

The super-rich get NAMA, bail-out Tuesdays, and billions of taxpayers’ money.

They get the cosy benefits – they keep the villas and hideaways in Spain, the million euro bonuses, the golden handshakes.

Ordinary workers get their P45s and, if they are lucky, a cheque from Social Welfare.

***

Large flagship industries such as Ryanair and Quinn discourage the formation of unions in their industries. When things are going well it is okay but when things go sour who is there to represent the workers?

It is quite correct to express concern at the potentially huge job losses in Quinn, but it is the workers, not Anglo Irish Bank or the Quinn family, who will suffer yet again.

Who now speaks for the workers?

***

The Proclamation promised a Republic that would cherish all the children of the nation equally.

The actions of this government has only applied this equality to the bankers.

They have promised to bail them all out equally, even if they have no positive role to play in the Irish economy.

Yes, they treat them all equally

***

Brian Cowen and his cronies say there is no alternative.

We say here today he is wrong – just as wrong as when he was Minister for Finance.

There is an alternative to the gombeenism that has wrought so much pain on hard-working families.

There are always alternatives.

Sinn Féin has different priorities. Sinn Féin offers a fairer and better solution.

And answering James Connolly’s call, Sinn Féin is the national movement that has the potential, the will and the policies capable of formulating a distinct and definite answer to the problems of the present and a political economic creed capable of adjustment to the wants of the future.

We would start by giving people hope again, by getting people back to work, through capital investment in much-needed schools, public transport and hospitals.

Investing in a jobs stimulus package.

Taking 50,000 young people off the dole

Working together, out of this despair, out of this recession.

Rebuilding people’s shattered pride and confidence.

Building unity in the workplace – in the public sector and in the private sector.

It is about working for Ireland.

Working for all its people, not just the chosen few.

Let’s stop the media dividing workers.

Let’s put Fianna Fáil out of government.

Let’s keep Enda Kenny and Fine Gael out of government.

Let us rededicate ourselves today to build an ‘Alliance for Change’.

Let us recommit ourselves today to building a truly inclusive Republic and making the 1916 Proclamation a reality for all our citizens.

An Phoblacht to take major step forward - Hopefully

It was announced in An Phoblacht this week that the paper will be moving to a monthly format and focusing on a new website to promote republican politcs. This I feel is a welcome move and I hope it will also be a vocal point for on line political discussion.

The section of the article that states

“Republicans also still want a platform for ideas, discussions and debate. An Phoblacht has provided such a platform but we need to build and strengthen that; we need to make it more widely used and known.

Is one I think is of vital importance and one which I hope will lead to the end of this blog.

----------------------------------------------------

Paper to go monthly and introduce new website



http://www.anphoblacht.com/news/detail/39716

IN a significant development, An Phoblacht, the voice of republicanism, is soon to be transformed. In the coming weeks the print edition of the republican paper will become a monthly publication and a brand new An Phoblacht website will be launched, including an online daily news service; up-to-the-minute videos featuring interviews; historic film footage; and an archive section with access to thousands of photographs and historic republican material including back issues of An Phoblacht/Republican News.


The newly-designed, monthly print edition of An Phoblacht will be complemented by a range of republican publications, including the republican magazine IRIS, which is to appear quarterly, and the highly popular Republican Legends booklet series.


Speaking about what he described as “a major step forward” for An Phoblacht, Sinn Féin Director of Publicity Seán Mac Brádaigh said this week that in a rapidly changing media world, An Phoblacht needs to move with the times.

“Over 100,000 people now read the paper online. A radical republican political agenda is needed in this country more than ever and we believe it is time for republicans to embrace the new media age and get our message out to as many people as possible.

“Things have moved on from the days when An Phoblacht was really the only outlet in Ireland, North or South, where you could hear the republican message.

“What is needed now, and indeed demanded by our readers, is the ability to delve deeper into the issues that affect Irish society. The new monthly format for the print edition will lend itself much more to in-depth features, interviews and political analysis.

“Republicans also still want a platform for ideas, discussions and debate. An Phoblacht has provided such a platform but we need to build and strengthen that; we need to make it more widely used and known.

“Recent years have seen phenomenal growth for Sinn Féin across Ireland. We are in government in the North. We have TDs, MLAs MPs an MEP, a Seantor and hundreds of councillors across the island. That level of growth for the party has affected the conditions in which we operate and means we need to fine-tune all aspects of our publicity operation to better respond to those conditions. There are huge opportunities and challenges there.

“While overt state censorship of Sinn Féin is long gone, the party is still at the receiving end of incredibly distorted and biased coverage in the establishment media. This means that it is just as important as it ever was that we have our own means of getting the republican message out, unmediated and direct.

“An Phoblacht is a very distinguished title with a long and proud history in republican politics. The paper has survived state harassment on both sides of the border, raids, arrests, imprisonment of staff and even assassinations. An Phoblacht is still here and it will continue long into the future. These latest developments bring it bang up to date with the political and media environment of 2010.

“In its new format, An Phoblacht aims to meet the challenges of the modern political media environment and not just survive but grow. I believe that with the active support of republicans throughout Ireland we can do that.”