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PODCAST

Anseo.net - If I were the Minister for Education

How many times have you said to yourself, "If I were the Minister for Education…?" Well I do! Rather than grumble to myself, I decided to podcast my thoughts on ways I"d change the primary education system in Ireland. Every episode I"ll take on a different theme, give some background and hopefully come to some conclusions by the end. simonmlewis.substack.com

education courses

All Episodes

29:02

What's the point of the Primary Ethos Survey?

Anseo.net - If I were the Minister for Education ·

2025/11/22

In this episode of ‘If I Were the Minister for Education,’ I explore the recent survey conducted by the Irish Department of Education concerning primary school patronage. I also discuss the legacy left by former Minister Helen McEntee and give my initial thoughts on the new Minister Hildegarde Naughton. I raise questions about the survey’s efficacy, its democratic value, and its alignment with the constitutional rights of children. I provide a historical context on the secular roots of Irish primary

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55:03

Interview 29: Debbie O'Neill (LIVE)

Anseo.net - If I were the Minister for Education ·

2025/11/01

Debunking Myths in Special Education: A Live Discussion with Debbie O’Neill In the latest episode of ‘If I Were the Minister for Education,’ I welcome Debbie O’Neill, principal of a school for primary and secondary students with mild general learning disabilities. This live podcast covers topics ranging from the special education system in Ireland, the challenges faced by special schools, and debunking common myths surrounding special education. Key points include the lack of specialised resources

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13:20

Guidance on Artificial Intelligence in Schools

Anseo.net - If I were the Minister for Education ·

2025/10/21

It was too obvious not to do it. Let AI summarise the Department of Education’s guidance. Sure, while I’m at it, I may as well use AI to create the show notes:Explore the safe, ethical, and responsible use of AI for primary educators and school leaders. We share practical examples, such as how a second class teacher can use Generative AI (GenAI) to create curriculum-aligned math activities, or how a fifth class teacher uses GenAI for visual support in Irish lessons. Learn strategies for integrating

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45:11

Interview 27: Rozz Lewis

Anseo.net - If I were the Minister for Education ·

2025/10/04

I couldn’t think of a better guest than Rozz Lewis for this podcast interview about the new ERB subject in the curriculum, mainly because we talk about it endlessly in our house. Rozz is not only my wife, but she is one of the most knowledgeable people I know when it comes to this new subject and she is not afraid to hold back about her concerns as to how she thinks it could be more harm than good. I know I’m biased but I think you’ll be blown away by her thoughts on this less talked about new

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32:44

SCABS: Are We Undermining the Strike Already?

Anseo.net - If I were the Minister for Education ·

2025/08/31

In this episode, I explore the FORSA strike of school secretaries and caretakers, the glue of Irish schools. For over a century, their work has been underpaid, under-recognised, and taken for granted. Now, as they fight for pensions and parity, schools are left in vulnerable positions: keep schools open and potentially undermine the strike, or close them and face being the front page headline in the national media.From the long, neglected history of these roles, to the government’s last-minute

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31:27

Interview 26: Patrick Jackson, Picker Pals

Anseo.net - If I were the Minister for Education ·

2025/08/18

Patrick Jackson is the CEO and Founder of Picker Pals World. The story goes that Patrick was walking his dog when he came across a seagull caught around the neck in some discarded fishing line. He managed to free the distressed bird. The very next day, in the same place, he found a litter picker-upper. Patrick started litter picking. Every day. Join me as I chat to Patrick about Picker Pals, the environment and how you can get involved in Picker Pals for your school. It’s not only one of the best

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31:47

What we can learn from the UK when it comes to...

Anseo.net - If I were the Minister for Education ·

2025/07/23

I've been writing about religious control of schools for well over a decade now, and I found that people tend to throw the same arguments out to me every time I talk about it. And there's a lot and lots of different arguments out there. The most common of which I think. And I could be wrong on this one, but the one that I'm hearing most of all these days is the argument that parents want Catholic schools, to which I'm always wondering what parents are they talking about because I'm a parent and I

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21:58

The Catholic Church Has the Least to Lose if...

Anseo.net - If I were the Minister for Education ·

2025/06/14

We often hear the argument that the Church is determined to keep its grip on education. But if the sacraments were removed from the school day and shifted to after-school parish programmes, I’d argue the Catholic Church wouldn’t be the ones who’d lose out the most.There are, after all, a lot of people with a vested interest in keeping things just as they are.In this episode I explore who the real losers might be during Communion Season and then shift into another theory as to why divestment and

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47:39

Interview 26: Paula Korsnakova and Eliane Segers (IEA)

Anseo.net - If I were the Minister for Education ·

2025/05/26

As educators, I wonder do we think much about the research that is done about education. I spoke with Paula Korsnakova and Eliane Segers from the IEA (International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement) to talk about educational research, with a focus on reading from digital devices. The following links may be useful if you'd like to learn more:https://www.iea.nl/publications/teacher-resources/teaching-reading-comprehension-digital-world:Link to the new volume of Research for

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39:23

Interview 25: Roisin Brady from LanguageNut

Anseo.net - If I were the Minister for Education ·

2025/04/21

With the new MFL curriculum coming up, I thought I'd speak to someone who knows a thing or two about teaching languages. Róisín Brady from LanguageNut joined me to explain how she thinks the curriculum is going to work out.Find more: http://languagenut.com/

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35:25

The True Cost of Underfunding in Irish Primary Schools

Anseo.net - If I were the Minister for Education ·

2025/03/31

In this episode, I explore the issue of underfunding in Irish primary schools, using the example of Sacred Heart Junior National School in Killinarden, Dublin, which announced it would operate remotely due to financial constraints. I delve into the history and structure of funding for primary schools, highlighting how the Department of Education's capitation grants have not kept pace with rising costs, such as electricity, gas, and wages. As usual I critique the patronage system and propose that the

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23:00

Who owns the solar panels in schools and why does...

Anseo.net - If I were the Minister for Education ·

2025/03/18

On this week's show, I'll be talking about solar panels and schools, but maybe not from the angle you might be expecting. As many of you might know, the government decided that every school in the country would be given a set of solar panels. And the main talk from those in the profession has been why The decision was made that no matter what size your school is, you'll be getting the same number of solar panels.So very tiny schools will be getting the same number of solar panels as a very big

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33:19

Interview 24: Rob Barnett

Anseo.net - If I were the Minister for Education ·

2025/03/04

Rob Barnett is the co-founder and Chief Product Officer ofModern Classrooms Project, a really interesting project which, at its core, tries to use technology for better human interaction and relationships in the classroom. Rob is a hugely impressive educator as you will hear in this episode but you can also watch him at this TEDx talk.Rob has also written a book, Meet Every Learners' Needs and has developed a very interesting tool called Insta-Lesson. I'd recommend you look at both!

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29:10

A Love Letter to the new Minister for Education

Anseo.net - If I were the Minister for Education ·

2025/02/04

Despitemy detective work, it looks like I was completely wrong about who the next Minister for Education was going to be and it's Helen McEntee who is our education minister.Join me as I write a letter telling Helen McEntee what I would love to see happening in the education system as she takes over from a depressing almost-decade of neglect.

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55:32

Interview 23: Muireann Sadlier

Anseo.net - If I were the Minister for Education ·

2025/01/21

In this podcast episode, I interview Muireann Sadlier, the Director of Cyber Smarties Ireland, discussing the importance of keeping children safe online while teaching them to use the internet positively. Sadlier shares her extensive background in education, focusing on wellbeing and behaviour, and introduces Cyber Smarties, an app designed for primary schools that supports children's social skills and online safety. We explore alarming statistics on children's online experiences, the challenges of

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46:22

10 Reasons to Be Hopeful for Education in 2025

Anseo.net - If I were the Minister for Education ·

2025/01/04

In this episode I reflect on the challenges faced by the primary education system in 2024 and offer ten reasons for possible optimism in 2025. Topics include improvements in special education, the potential of artificial intelligence in classrooms, the evolving role of patronage in schools, the impact of new educational technology, and the hope for a competent new Minister for Education. I also discuss the significance of the new primary maths curriculum, the extension of the primary language

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35:54

Review of the Year 2024 - July to December

Anseo.net - If I were the Minister for Education ·

2024/12/24

If you have been listening to the first half of this episode where I covered the education stories from January to June, you'll notice that the first half of 2024 in schools was not exactly filled with hope. With special education slowly but surely been stripped away and the world falling apart with war. Could the second half of the year, bring some hope? Let see...

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26:57

Review of the Year 2024 - January to June

Anseo.net - If I were the Minister for Education ·

2024/12/21

If there's nothing else you can say about the Minister for Education, Norma Foley. When we look back at 2024, it's likely she will feature heavily. Whether it was her crisis opportunity during the general election campaign or her 9 million Euro phone pouches, in this episode, join me as I look back on a year where the Department of Education were more interested in smartphones than teacher shortages and where all of the problems in the education system seemed to be defended by throwing free school

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43:49

Who will be the next Minister for Education?

Anseo.net - If I were the Minister for Education ·

2024/12/10

In this episode, I count down who I believe are the top ten front-runners to being the next Minister for Education. What position with Norma Foley come? Who do I tip to be the next Donagh O'Malley? Find out in an episode that's like to age very badly!

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33:15

My Election Manifesto

Anseo.net - If I were the Minister for Education ·

2024/11/17

Don't worry, I'm not running in the General Election! You already have enough of me. However, theoretically, if I got to write a Manifesto, there are 4 main areas I would focus on:PatronageSpecial EducationFundingTeacher ShortageYou might be surprised by the first one... listen on your favourite podcast platform

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