A Reform Manifesto

Right, its a week when the teacher unions tell us how badly we behave and bemoan the shoddy government, a week when TDs dont go next nigh or near Dail Eireann, a week when the papers are filled with crap features filler.

Thats my rant over, not to the substance. We all love to lounge around here with posts and comments calling for this, that, and the other or simply giving out.

But what would we do if we were in government?

I am wondering what a reform manifesto from IE.com readers and posters would look like. The plan is to get as much feedback in the comments as possible, including arguments about the wisdom of some proposals, and collate them into a later post, for more debate. At that point others might want to think about their own reform manifesto with whatever we miss.

Voting system, Taxes, Health, Education system, Transport, Energy policy, Foreign policy, United Ireland-take your pick.

Two for starters.

1. The democratic setup in this country be strengthened with more input for citizens into the deliberative process. Institutions of public governance be set up to allow the input of citizens to complement the thinking of TDs and act as an independent overseer of our representatives.

2. For 1 to work there would need to be a complete overhaul of the way we see education in this country. Even in topics such as our own democracy the tendancy is to teach ‘fact’ and learn by rote. Their is no scope within our current system for subjects which are open-ended and, while giving some overview of fact, attempt to foster in our young people a sense of questioning and comfort with critique.

The satisfaction with an education which equips you with skills beyond instrument should not be underestimated and a reform of the current second level set-up may well be part of the wider issues with school discipline, though by no means a panacea.

This is not some platonic project to educate us all to think the same, but an attempt to foster recognition of the fundamental questions that often lie behind modern problems. Coupled with a section on lived politics and the citizen in a democracy we would surely attain a higher level of engagement, interaciton and better quality of deliberation with more points of view involved.

Thats my two cents, have a go, to make it easier put a broad policy area in the first line so i can organise them later. The IE.com reform manifesto is open to submissions.