End of Regional Council Season!
After a very busy 2 months. ISSU have completed its most busiest Regional Council season to date!
After a very busy 2 months, the ISSU has completed its busiest Regional Council season to date!
Regional Councils are held to reach out to our member schools on a local level. We had over 202 schools present at 17 of our Regional councils. It was our first time holding events for regions such as Cavan-Monaghan, Waterford-South Tipperary , Mayo and more and we now have 390 schools as members of ISSU!
Our regional councils consisted of workshops, debates and discussions to give attendees an insight into the work we do on a national level. Our topics of discussion included;
Climate Action
Drug & Alcohol Abuse & Misuse
Direct Provision
Education Reform
RSE Initiatives
Student Council Resources
Negotiation Skills
Student Council Support Officer, Caoilfhinn at Cavan-Monaghan Regional Council
Most importantly, at our Regional Councils, we elected our Regional Council Officers for the 2019/20 term. At each regional council attendees could nominate themselves and run for a place on the National Council of Schools (NCS). We now have 36 Regional Council Officers with at least 2 in every region, which you will get the chance to meet soon!
Their work on the NCS will consist of liaising with our member schools’ student councils in their local region while also running their own local campaigns under the ISSU!
A very busy year to come and on behalf of the NSE, we would like to thank each and every student for attending their regional council, we cannot wait to see more of you at different events throughout the year and further on!
History Is Here To Stay
The Minister for Education Joe McHugh recently announced that he intends to keep history at a compulsory subject at Junior Cert level, which is glorious news for myself and fellow history enthusiasts.
The Minister for Education Joe McHugh recently announced that he intends to keep history at a compulsory subject at Junior Cert level, which is glorious news for myself and fellow history enthusiasts.
I may be biased as someone who has had a love of history instilled in me from a young age and is hoping to further study it at third-level, but I believe that history remaining compulsory is a good thing for all students, from those who love it to those who loathe it. I know some people may think that history is a bore and unnecessary. They are entitled to have these opinions, but I truly think that this decision is for the best.
First of all, one of the main reasons that studying history is so important for young people is that they learn about the country they live in and our story as a nation. I think it is critical for young people to learn about Ireland’s history in relation to Great Britain and our journey to independence, while also learning about women’s history, including the suffragettes and other aspects, to note how far the country has come in the last century— what battles we’ve fought and won.
On the other hand, I also agree with the point made by the Minister for Education, that we should also learn about the dark side of our history, such as the state’s mistreatment of women. Including the many scandals involving mother and baby homes, abuse of children and discrimination towards minorities such as the LGBT+ community and the Travelling community. It is vital for young people to learn about the negative parts of our history as well as the positive parts. It is essential to show them that Ireland has made mistakes, that we acknowledge these mistakes, learn from them and know we can never go back to the way certain things were. Therefore I also agree with Mr McHugh’s point that history should be taught at a young age to make us “well-informed, active citizens who understand the importance of history in shaping the future” *
I also want to bring in a point made by my fellow ISSU writer Charles Gallagher that although some people may think the Irish history curriculum is biased against the British, myself and Charles both agree that the “curriculum is not biased and that it is merely common sense and patriotism” considering Ireland’s horrific history with the UK.
Not only is it important for Irish history to be taught, it is also necessary to learn about other areas of history such as Columbus and the mistreatment of Native Americans and the cruelty shown towards African American people in the USA. It is important to study these other areas of history to understand the struggles of other people and to respect other countries and races.
To finish, I will reiterate my opinion that history remaining mandatory is in fact a good thing, despite the arguments against it, for all of the reasons I have mentioned above. I hope I will be able to continue studying and cultivating my love of history for as long as I can and that this decision by the Minister for Education will awaken a love of the subject in many more young people for years to come.
By Kate Duffy
We Want YOU! "Into the Workforce" Consultation Group Needs Your Input!
The ISSU is a close partner with many of the trade unions in Ireland, bridging the link between student and workers ‘ rights and ensuring that school students are educated about their rights in the workplace.
In the past, the ISSU has collaborated with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) on its annual “Skills Academy for Future Leaders”, as well as working with individual unions on an ad-hoc basis. In 2017 the ISSU collabprated with SIPTU on the #MyRightsAtWork campaign, giving second students access to advice services for free.
Now SIPTU, the largest trade union in Ireland, have created a 'Work Prep' workshop which outlines all of the most important and valuable information that young people need to know before they head into the workforce. It covers topics like claiming back emergency tax, your rights with regard to pay and conditions etc..
HOWEVER
Before this workshop is ready to go out to schools SIPTU are looking to recruit 15 young people to trial the workshop first and to give feedback. It is vitally important that students input to this, to ensure it is exactly what we require.
A consultation group meeting will take place this Saturday 23rd November in Liberty Hall, Dublin. The meeting will run from 10am to 1pm, with transport costs reimbursed.
To express you interest, or if you have any questions, please email Deputy President Chloe at chloe.griffin@issu.ie
Call for Constitution Reform Working Group!
We are putting out a call for members to join our consitution reform working group to review and reform ISSU’s consitution.
Aim:
The Constitution Reform Working Group will be taking the lead on re-writing the current constitution. This group will be leading various consultations with our members and proposing a whole new constitution which will be put forward at Annual Assembly.
Who:
People on this Working group will need to have a very high standard of working knowledge with the ISSU constitution and will need to understand the flaws contained within and have the ability to bring forward possible solutions and amendments to this critical document of the organisation.
The working group will consist of approximately 10 people, however this number is subject to change depending on the number of applicants and their calibre we may take more or less.
This working group will be led by Chloe Griffin and Sarah Harte
Anyone can apply for this working group including NSE, NCS and MC officers past and present!
Commitment:
People on this working group will need to be able to dedicate time to this role in order for this to be successful. A couple of physical meetings will be necessary, however we would be active online very regularly. Bi-weekly online meetings would also be necessary depending on the workload.
Deadline:
This working group will start work in late November / Early December 2019 with the aim of publishing the condition at least a month before Annual Assembly.
If you have any questions about this or if there is anything you wish to clarify please contact chloe.griffin@issu.ie
Apply here
Deadline for applications to this working group will be November 25th 2019 @ 5pm
Anti Nihilism - Things Will Change
Why your friends think things won’t get better
If you’ve spent time talking to less-engaged students about activism you’ve probably encountered at least one form of nihilism at some stage (and perhaps you’ve felt it yourself at some point). This feeling that nothing can get better and that change isn’t possible is oddly pervasive as of late - especially among us young people. But what exactly is this nihilism, what causes it and how can it be countered?
In order to get a solid definition of what nihilism actually is we need to turn to the work of the late theorist Mark Fisher. In a 2006 blog post entitled “Reflexive Impotence” Fisher argues that British students “know things are bad, but more than that, they know that they can’t do anything about it. But that ‘knowledge’, that reflexivity, is not a passive observation of an already existing state of affairs. It is a self-fulfilling prophecy”. Fisher goes on to argue that because of this impotence a majority of the students he taught were stuck in a state of so-called “depressive hedonia”. In other words, Fisher argued that when we as students were faced with the ever-worsening realities of our times we responded by (understandably) losing ourselves in comfort food, Netflix specials and all-nighters. But what leads to this nihilism?
In my opinion, the main cause of this nihilism is what I’m going to refer to as “cynical realism”. We as students are perpetually told by the press, pundits and politicians that the current way of doing things is the only way of doing things and that alternatives do not exist.
The defenders of the status quo no longer bother claiming that the current way of doing things is the best method (or even a good method in the first place) but instead that it is the only feasible method and that anything else is a pipe-dream for radicals and cranks. When we rally against the impending catastrophe of climate change we’re treated as crazy radicals for having the “unrealistic” dream of wanting a planet to live on.
When we advocate for a fairer education system we’re met with a cynical shrug veiled behind the language of pragmatism. When we propose compromise solutions and call for reform in our systems we’re treated as if we’re trying to tear them down. Cynical realism saturates our press and politics to the point where we unintentionally internalize it. If you hear something over and over again it slowly seeps into your thoughts. Eventually it does seem as if change isn’t viable, as if things can’t get better. This is where the main irony of cynical realism lies - if we hadn’t internalized it change would have been possible. In other words, it’s useless unless it’s in our heads.
So how do we overcome this nihilism? The answer is currently staring us right in the face in the form of the climate strikes. When Greta Thunberg first staged a climate protest just thirteen months ago she sat alone. However, by daring to take a stand and by daring to go against what is cynically perceived as “realistic” by the press she was able to foster a worldwide movement, inspire real change and gain the attention (and derision) of world leaders. She went from being just one student sitting outside of Swedish parliament with a sign, to the spearhead of a global movement addressing the United Nations. Change is possible, regardless of what we’re cynically told. A better, fairer future is within our grasp - even if snarky op-ed writers claim otherwise. Although it sounds clichéd, the best, most effective response to this nihilism is simple - daring to dream and taking a stand.
By Ciarán McEvoy
We Are More than A Photo-Op
There is an unfortunate trend of political figures using the climate protests for electoral gain.
There is an unfortunate trend of political figures using the climate protests for electoral gain
On Friday the 20th, over 15,000 Irish teenagers took to the street for a global protest demanding climate action. In what was a thrilling feat of passion and organization, thousands upon thousands of people showed up to march and declare loudly that climate change is the pressing issue of our time. It was screamed at the top of our collective lungs that political change for climate action is necessary, immediately.
But if you are part of a political apparatus, there’s a more cynical view. Upon looking at these street protests, there is one thing to be seen : thousands and thousands of future voters. It is clear that the gathering crowds are civically engaged members of society. And in the eyes of politicians, these individuals are ripe for the political plucking. So every party wants to get in at the ground floor, and try convince as many young ones as possible that ‘climate action will happen, so long as you vote for us!’
To a degree, this could be acceptable. Each party could go about its ways in convincing voters that they are genuine and serious and proactive on climate change. They can pledge lower carbon emissions ceilings, higher renewable energy subsidies, comprehensive public transport plans and investment in other green technologies, all in the hopes of winning over the future voters of Éire. And sure, this is essentially the end goal. But what is not acceptable is the way that certain elements of the political sphere have been reacting to these protests.
Unfortunately, this message has not always been heeded by the political apparatus. Several government officials, including ministers, have been decried as using the protests as ‘a photo op’. These instances were not unique, but happened across the political spectrum. In a quite telling fashion, after the September 20th protests, political parties released heavily-edited publicity videos, self-empowering photos decorated their social media, all with the striking youth reduced to mere props. In what seems to be recurring motifs. these protests are in fact used as a stage for attacks on political opponents, often the incumbent government or close political rivals.
Furthermore, a handful of political parties were criticized for setting up political stands at the protests, handing out leaflets and displaying banners, despite being explicitly told by the organizers to abide by the non-political ethos.
This shows how the political agendas and politics-as-usual attitudes can permeate something that is the antithesis of daily politics. As such it is our duty to call these instances out. Politicians who want to acknowledge the crisis should do so, should attend protests, should fight for the environment, and primarily should use their voice to raise up those of others - but must face the fact that society does not revolve around the next election.
By Ciarán Meers