Anseo.net - If I were the Minister for Education

This week we talk about the divestment of the first Catholic school to Educate Together, followed by the findings of the Grace report, indicating a discrepancy between the religious beliefs of teachers and their roles in Catholic schools. While one commentator blames the teachers, another blames the whole Catholic community. Next, I discuss the Polish government’s ban on homework for primary students, questioning the relevance and format of homework in Ireland’s education system. I haven’t changed my stance since I recorded my podcast on the topic several years ago! https://anseo.captivate.fm/episode/episode-39-scrap-homework Lastly, I confess to warming to Minister Norma Foley’s stance against smartphones in schools, advocating for a broader approach that includes legislation to protect children from harmful content. While I don’t believe it’s the school’s role to lead on it, I’m very nervous of what the future generation is going to look like if we all don’t do something.

In this episode, I explore the landscape of primary education in Ireland, focusing on the outcomes of the INTO Congress, the ongoing conversations regarding gender identity in schools, and the looming uncertainties over the primary school book grant scheme. I delve into the controversies surrounding teacher compensation for overseas work, the dominance of religious control in education, and the societal response to gender identity within educational settings. Additionally, I express concerns over potential reductions to the primary school book grant scheme.

In this episode, I reflect on the implications of Josepha Madigan's departure as the Minister for Special Education and whether the position will ever exist again. I also ponder on the INTO's survey on physical aggression. Finally, we move to Estonia and explore why they are now kings and queens of Europe and why Ireland won't be the best education system in Europe by 2026.

In this episode, I wonder about the quantum of SET agendas and why the IPPN has decided to go against its members. I discuss why the media have reduced a completely changed curriculum down to sex. Finally I deny that I've been looking through your bins. Links to articles discussed can be found on anseo.net

In this podcast episode, I discuss the challenges in special education, specifically the issues with school allocations and the ineffectiveness of the current system. I also delve into the expansion of the school transport system and the complications arising due to patronage. Lastly, I touch on the topic of Irish exemptions and the audit of schools with high exemption rates. Additionally, I reflect on the ownership of newly built schools by religious bodies despite being funded by the state.

In this latest episode of the podcast 'If I were the Minister for Education', I explore the recent happenings within the Irish primary education system, discussing the aftermath of SET allocations and the implications this had on schools and teachers. The episode also delves into the issue of Irish school buildings being gifted to private religious bodies and assesses the impact of this decision. Finally, I explore why the Scottish see the Irish education system in such a positive light, primarily referring to Ireland's performance in PISA tests. Show notes available on Anseo.net

In this episode of 'If I were the Minister for Education', I explore the current state of Irish primary education, particularly focusing on SET (Special Education Teaching) allocations. My research reveals that developing schools have been majorly overlooked in SET allocations, leading to a significant resource gap compared to non-developing schools. I discuss how there has been a minor increase in total resources but the allocation has inadequately catered to the growing student population in developing schools. I also discuss my findings from county to county and even delve into the effects on different schools depending on their patronage. Remember to subscribe at https://www.anseo.net/subscribe for more insights into the Irish primary education system and check out the data for yourself on anseo.net.

Welcome to another kind of experimental version of the show because I have decided that I'm going to try and extend the podcast to YouTube - you can check the video version of it at https://www.youtube.com/@Anseo Show note are available on Anseo.net here: https://anseo.net/?p=19569 Topics covered:

Back in 2011, The Irish Times published a list, which they deemed to be the 50 most influential people in education. I've been profiling them now for a while, and I've already done the top 10 numbers, 11 to 20, and now it's time for numbers. 21 to 30. Let's see, who's made the list and let me know what you think on anseo.net. All show notes available on: https://simonmlewis.medium.com/the-50-most-influential-people-in-education-where-are-they-now-part-3-5-01520a753acc

In this episode, I give a summary of the excellent Children's School Lives report (number 6!) which is focused on the curriculum and assessment. The document provides a comprehensive analysis of children's experiences in Irish primary schools. It focuses on how children engage with and perceive their school curriculum and assessment processes. The report details children's subject preferences, their learning experiences across different subjects, and teachers' experiences in teaching these subjects. It also covers the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on curriculum and assessment practices, and includes insights from principals, teachers, and parents on these topics. Of particular interest to me are the subjects of Irish, Drama and Religion. What roles do they fulfil now? Show notes available: https://simonmlewis.medium.com/childrens-school-lives-report-6-10633d73fdc5 or https://www.anseo.net

Join me as I tackle a question that I feel we should be asking more often: Is the Catholic Certificate in Religious Education discriminatory? Following on from Peter Maguire's excellent article on the subject, I dive into all sides of the debate, chatting about the contents of the certificate, the challenges it poses for non-Catholics, and the arguments for and against its requirement. Strap in for an honest, no-holds-barred conversation (with an alien) that'll hopefully make you rethink the education system and what I would do if I Were the Minister for Education. Show notes, as always, on https://simonmlewis.medium.com

There is an unprecedented shortage of primary school teachers in Ireland, according to an Irish Times article after a joint survey from the INTO, IPPN and CPSMA revealed there are over 800 teaching positions left unfilled at the moment and it’s due to get worse. So, where are all the teachers and what would I do if I were the Minister for Education? Show notes: https://simonmlewis.medium.com 9OHgUbTiq536zZPGZYsP

In this special interview with the co-founder of Clever.com, Dab Carroll, I talk about all things Clever but also about the US education system. We also discuss his thoughts on technology in education and how to best use it. Clever.com is now available in Ireland so we talk about that decision too. To sign up to Clever Go! go to: https://www.getclever.com/go/

In this episode, I discuss the people that made it in 11th to 20th position in the Irish Times 2011 article and find out where they are now. Show notes and links can be found on my Medium channel: https://simonmlewis.medium.com/the-50-most-influential-people-in-education-where-are-they-now-part-2-5-a2679e119641

Sarah Webb and Conor Bredin join me to discuss the fantastic Discover Irish Children's Books initiative (https://discoveririshkidsbooks.ie/) Join us as we delve into the world of kids' books and make some recommendations for some Irish authors you may not know.

Twelve years ago, the Irish Times published an article, out of the blue, which listed the top 50 most influential people in education. It was compiled over four weeks and the journalists stated that key figures (without naming them) were asked to compile their own lists confidentially. The names that featured were the most prominent on the lists. I thought it would be interesting to see where these people are now. Show notes and blog article can be found here: https://simonmlewis.medium.com/the-50-most-influential-people-in-education-where-are-they-now-part-1-5-fdfc5ea80528

One of my biggest bug bears is when a primary school calls itself inclusive. For one, in Ireland, it is impossible to be fully inclusive because schools are completely reliant on government funding and the allocation of resources. For example over 90% of schools in a self-assessed survey revealed that they didn’t have enough resources to support children with additional needs. Hardly inclusive but hardly their fault. However, you'd be surprised how many religious schools call themselves inclusive. In fact, if you work in one, you've probably done it. Join me as I explain why denominational schools can't call themselves inclusive. Show Notes: https://medium.com/p/e0ce28f30069

Why are primary school teachers like me going on the radio talking about banning smartphones? In this episode I wonder why it is schools, yet again, being asked to police society. Blog Post: https://medium.com/@slewis7796/smartphone-bans-and-schools-solving-societal-issues-6e1273403c23

If you were listening to the last episode of If I Were the Minister for Education, you’ll know that I was talking about Artificial Intelligence and how I believed it was going to change everything. In the episode, I said I was going to try out A.I. to create an episode and this is the first one. So “A.I. Simon” is born - and because the tool I’m using isn’t able to recognise Irish accents yet, you’ve got a British-accented version of myself. I’d love to know what you think of my efforts. I have been planning on summarising the Children’s School Lives 5th report for a couple of months so let's see how well AI Simon does!

Technology and education have a strange relationship in Ireland. If a teacher said to a parent or another teacher or anyone at all that they really didn’t like Maths so they don’t bother teaching it or using it, there would be uproar. And rightly so. However, even in 2023, you’ll still hear teachers saying they’re not that into technology so they don’t really use it in their classroom and no one bats an eyelid. To me it’s incomprehensible that a teacher would not utilise technology in their classroom and, to be fair, it isn’t even true. It is so embedded in our practice that most teachers don’t realise they are using it. I don’t think there is a single teacher in Ireland that doesn’t use an Interactive Whiteboard for example. If the internet went down in school when I started teaching, people mightn’t have noticed for a couple of days. Now you hear about it in a couple of seconds. In the last few months, the world of technology has been rocked by the emergence of Artificial Intelligence, or AI, and I don’t think it’s a stretch to say it’s the next revolution, and will have as big an impact as the Internet did when it first came out. In this episode, I want to explore some of the things AI might do that will transform primary teaching and what I would do if I were the Minister for Education. Links from the episode: AI and Education (UNESCO)Creating a unit of work in Canva30 uses for AI in the Classroom