So, Here we are in Northern Ireland! Our local governmental review on education at post primary level ( 11-18 yrs) is now complete and a new system to replace the current system is going to be introduced and fully operational by 2008. What is the current system? Well it is centered on the transfer test at P8 ( 10-11year olds) who sit a test (euphemistically called the' 11+') and the results of this determine the post primary school that a child can /will be allowed to attend. Th...

In our citizenship class (we are being taught to teach citizenship....only in Britain is such a concept possible!). Well yesterday we were asked to evaluate our own responses to Bloody Sunday. In the class were people of all shades of background and community. The film we watched, the issues raised ('Loss' and 'revenge') were very hard. I must admit that I think that it would be to hard for me to teach this material to 16-17 year olds, at least, not without outside help. It was uncomforta...

So, the weekend arrives and all domestic bliss evaporates as I face the prospect of starting work again on friday night (Sat and Sundays also....Im an SAS man!) at that carousel of a hotel, The Lodge. Believe me, once it has entered your working life it is hard to budge! I should know,I keep going back! Anyway, what keeps me sane whence I have started a shift? Well two things...the fact that i have a cheeky (?) outlook on life i.e. I talk smut to ease my working tasks and the wa...