Anseo.net - If I were the Minister for Education

Picture the scene. Ireland at the beginning of 2008. It was the height of the Celtic Tiger. The Fianna Fáil tent was dripping in champagne and helicopter fuel. The Builders were driving Mercs and laughing at teachers. And the following adorned the front pages of the newspapers: "The principals of about 1,700 primary schools are to get a 31.5% increase in their allowances, but are the only large gr...

Class Size seems to be a subject that has a universal agreement in terms of an answer - smaller class sizes are better - but is this true and are we even asking the right question? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit simonmlewis.substack.com/subscribe

This episode is partially inspired by two news stories: one where a child hospitalised two members of staff and his expulsion was overturned through an appeal; and one where a study basically lambasted schools for shortening children's school days.  In this episode I wonder how has it suddenly become acceptable in any way to be violent towards each other? This is a public episode. If you'd like to...

To celebrate 6 months since I started this podcast, If I were the Minister for Education investigates the scandal in the public sector where firemen have to make reindeer food to pay the heating bills and judges in the High Court dress up as Disney Princesses to plug the gap in their fundings. It would never happen in a primary school, would it?! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss...

In Ireland, about 12% of schools receive a grant to provide a school lunch for its pupils in a scheme that has changed little since 1914. Recently the government started a pilot to provide hot meals to 36 schools (about 1%)  In this episode I chart the history of free school lunches and see who is doing what around the world. No surprises that Finland gives free school lunches to everyone of cours...

In this special episode, I do a live analysis of the new exemption from Irish circular that came out on 28th August 2019. I go through the changes, the effect of yet another offloading of responsibility to schools, and the expected increased workload for principals. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit simonmlewis.sub...

Of all the most baffling aspects of church involvement in education, the one that bugs me most is when a secular institution actively supports it. Not only did DCU agree to allowing Protestants a different entry route to their Teacher Training course through separate CAO points, they actually requested for it to continue in 2018. (See how this works: https://bit.ly/caorace ) In this episode, I arg...

Why has the government or any of its agencies created so few resources to help us teach the curriculum, and if they did, what should they do? Episode 23 of If I were the Minister for Education explores how the government could provide teachers and students with adequate learning resources. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episode...

The NCCA are doing some interesting work in the background trying to restructure the curriculum given the number of demands on our time. Everyone knows that it's impossible to fit everything into the few hours a week we get to teach and many subjects are simply not being taught enough or at all. In this episode, I'll be taking my shears and trying to find some low hanging fruit, including the sacr...

As if the 1999 English curriculum wasn't bad enough, the new Primary Language Curriculum did the unthinkable and was even worse. In this episode, I discuss why we have the new Primary Language Curriculum and how it all went wrong from the very start. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit simonmlewis.substack.com/subscr...

In this final part of this episode on small schools, I finally come to some conclusion around saving small schools. I take all the evidence I've built up over the month and see if anything that anyone else has suggested has any merit. Ultimately, it comes down to a change in mindset. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, vis...

In part 3 of this episode on the future of small schools, I analyse the Small Schools Symposium and lament what might have been. However, a newspaper report following the symposium gives me and small schools some hope of survival towards the end. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit simonmlewis.substack.com/subscribe

In last week's episode, ( http://anseo.libsyn.com/we-need-to-talk-about-small-schools-part-1 ) we explored the history of small schools in Ireland and in this episode, we're looking at research. By the end I conclude what people like me are accused of all the time. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit simonmlewis.subs...

In the first of a two-part episode, I'm going to examine small schools. After a very disappointing Symposium on Small Schools, I want to really talk about small schools and how they are slowly but surely disappearing. I want to examine the role of the small school in the 21st century but not before checking out schools since 1824, nearly 200 years ago.  This is a public episode. If you'd like to d...

It's no news to teachers that there aren't enough places for children with additional needs in specialised classes. If you have autism, there are almost 1,000 classes in Ireland, but it's nowhere near enough. However, if you don't have autism, you're goosed. Let's explore who's to blame and what I'd do if I were the Minister for Education. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this wi...

The government are thinking of forcing schools to open classes for children with autism. In this episode, I'll explore why this is a bad idea but also give some advice for schools that might choose to do so.  This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit simonmlewis.substack.com/subscribe

In soccer, everyone needs to know their position. One basic rule is that you can really only play in one position. In this episode I follow a yard time game of soccer and wonder what role does the union play in the team and argue that if I were the Minister for Education, I would remove all Union Involvement from Teaching Council This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other s...

Social Media. What could possibly go wrong? The Teaching Council has recently  issued advice to teachers on their use of social media. I am going to try and argue that if I were the Minister for Education, I would Allow Teachers to use Social Media as They See Fit. A brief history of Social Media How teachers use Social Media How Guidelines can turn to Regulations How teachers around the world are...

Teachers often tell me that they aren’t great on technology. I never understand this because in all aspects of their life, they use technology all the time. In this episode, I want to explore how we can change the way we look at technology as a tool and focus on it as a methodology. I also propose a way to outsource technology to education centres. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discus...

In this episode, we look at all the things we lost in the recession then examine one thing we gained - Croke Park Hours! This leads into a conversation on non-contact time in schools before asking whether we should work a 40 hour week. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit simonmlewis.substack.com/subscribe

On this week’s news show: More calls to remove sacramental preparation from schools Surprise, surprise - standardised testing causes stress The prinicpal who encouraged his parish to vote Fianna Fail This and tonnes of other stories including Sheila Nunan's prospects in the European Elections. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus epi...

In this 13th episode of If I were the Minister for Education, I try to unravel the complex web of our pay scale. I also have a go at the union, rightly or wrongly, about their role in the two-tier pay scale. Finally, I find out that you can get an allowance for teaching on an island. Does the Bahamas count? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get acces...

On this week’s news show: The principal who robbed over €200k from his school Tusla wrecks another School Completion Programme Project Why the Catholic Church wants to take back Communion The INTO has forgotten about pay equality Climate Change and we need to listen to young people A square peg in a round hole - sex education in Ireland Music Generation is Extending No one knows who’s to blame for...

Ireland is the only secular country in the world where more then 2% of their primary schools are single-sex. How did this happen? The answer won't surprise you. Also, is there any truth to the notion that children perform better in single-sex schools? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit simonmlewis.substack.com/subsc...

I've decided to separate the podcast into 2 - one for the weekly news (this podcast) and one for the "If I were the Minister for Education" bit.  This week I: say goodbye to Paul Rowe as he announces his retirement, get cross about voluntary contributions, get even more cross about abuse victims receiving no compensation for the crimes committed against them agree with CTYI in that we don't teach...