Anseo.net - If I were the Minister for Education

Simon Lewis
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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

  1. 2d ago

    Interview 37: Noel Davidson

    I welcome Noel Davidson to the podcast to discuss entrepreneurship education and practical problem-solving in Irish schools. Noel shares his own education and career journey from horticulture into starting businesses and becoming Head of Training and Strategic Partnerships at the Entrepreneurs Academy, arguing that programmes like the Junior Entrepreneur Program (primary) and the Student Enterprise Program (post-primary) build confidence and life skills such as creativity, communication, resilience and learning from failure. We discuss why these human skills matter even more alongside AI, which Noel frames as a tool that should save time but cannot replace empathy or leadership. Noel highlights student success stories, including Anthony’s Wooden Crafts, and introduces First Bell (firstbell.ie), a new Irish app launching this September to help schools source substitute teachers more efficiently than phone calls or WhatsApp, with location-based matching, cascading preferences and GDPR-aware design. I close by inviting listeners to anseo.net’s Unconvention. We’ve developed a course that makes sense of the revised primary curriculum and shows you how to enact it over the next two years and beyond. As a thank you for being a member, you are welcome to use it for free if you pay an annual licence. Simply get in touch with your details and we’ll get you signed up. (schoolpolicy.ie/cpd) Are you interested in making sense of the revised primary curriculum and enacting your whole school plans over the next two years? We’ve developed a course to do just that. More information on schoolpolicy.ie/cpd or upgrade your account for free access. 00:00 Welcome and Purpose01:16 Meet Noel Davidson03:07 Noel’s Education Journey05:13 Mentors and First Business08:02 What JEP and SEP Teach10:00 Entrepreneurship in the AI Era13:02 Student Success Stories15:59 First Spell Origin Story19:46 How First Spell Works22:03 WhatsApp Limits and GDPR25:32 Launch Details and Access26:53 Minister for a Day29:29 Failure and Ken Robinson33:40 Wrap Up and Unconvention 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

    Interview 37: Noel Davidson

  2. Jul 7

    Interview 36: Grace Brennan

    In this episode of If I Were the Minister for Education, I speak with Grace Brennan, founder of Higgle, about process-driven visual arts and creative thinking in primary classrooms. Grace shares her education journey from County Wexford to art and design studies and entrepreneurship supported by Enterprise Ireland and local programmes, and reflects on how third-level art opened her mind to experimentation and careers. We discuss how art can become outcome-focused “cookie cutter” work influenced by social media, often because teachers lack training and time to explore materials, and why this can harm children’s creativity and confidence. Grace explains Higgle as a digital prompt generator that supports open-ended, cross-curricular art problems adaptable to available materials and diverse classroom needs, and she outlines her EPV courses for teachers.00:00 Welcome and Art Chat01:24 Grace Brennan Journey03:35 Simon Art Teaching Roots04:56 Mentors and Creativity07:57 Leaving Cert Art Reality09:03 Fixing Cookie Cutter Art16:31 Why Art Foundations Matter20:00 STEAM and New Curriculum22:55 What Is Higgle24:47 Inside the Prompt Generator26:12 Pencil and Paper Challenge27:45 Minister for a Day30:32 Where to Find Higgle31:52 Final Thanks and Wrap 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

    Interview 36: Grace Brennan

  3. Jun 27

    Interview 35: Eithne Walsh

    I was delighted to meet Eithne Walsh, CEO of Féach Vision Support Services, to talk about improving supports for blind and visually impaired children in Irish mainstream schools. Eithne shares how her two children gradually lost their sight and how low expectations and limited expertise in schools pushed her to advocate for practical planning, expanded core curriculum skills, and assistive technology so her children could become independent learners. She explains Féach’s evolution from parent peer support into a charity offering school guides, webinars, SNA and teacher training, low vision awareness workshops, and VR immersive training, now supporting hundreds of schools. They discuss slow policy change, gaps in AT training, key recommendations from Féach’s access reports, and why braille remains essential for literacy alongside modern technology. 00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 01:24 Eithne Story and Diagnosis 03:00 School Expectations Shift 05:13 Building Independence Skills 06:28 Why Féach Exists 07:32 Féach Services and Training 10:47 Mainstream Progress and Gaps 13:20 Assistive Tech Push 17:49 Why Policy Moves Slowly 23:08 Toolkits for Teachers 24:16 Age-Appropriate Tech Skills 24:36 Typing Progression Plan 25:36 Audit Tools and Live Resources 26:55 North-South Training Collaboration 30:13 Annual Report Key Recommendations 33:07 AI and Accessible Tech Advances 35:55 Why Braille Still Matters 38:58 Big Questions for Education 41:42 How to Contact Feach 43:09 Closing Thanks and Wrap-Up 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

    Interview 35: Eithne Walsh

  4. Jun 14

    Education Unconvention: Reading 1

    Education Unconvention: Big Questions About ReadingI introduce the Education Unconvention as a fringe-style, discussion-based subset of my podcast, designed to complement and sometimes challenge the Convention on Education by sharing progress and inviting contributions online. The first theme is reading, explored through debates about Reading Recovery, UFLI, and dyslexia, alongside reading schools and reading classes. I describe tensions between research evidence and teachers’ lived experience, including questions about independent Irish evaluation of Reading Recovery and what should replace it if flaws are found. Teachers praise UFLI’s structure and results, while others caution against treating any programme as a silver bullet. On dyslexia, contributors argue for either specialists, stronger teacher knowledge, or expanded specialist provision, raising wider questions about inclusion. Across all topics, recurring themes include time, resources, workload, training, disadvantage, home literacy, and defining what success in literacy should look like.00:00 Welcome to Unconvention02:20 Why Reading Matters05:05 Reading Recovery Debate07:43 Research Versus Experience10:37 What Counts as Evidence15:12 UFLI Takes Off18:07 Program Hype Cycle23:33 Dyslexia Mainstream Reality25:36 Mainstream or Specialist26:54 Highest Need Critique27:36 Expertise Without Roles29:13 Every Teacher Dyslexia30:51 Reading Classes Debate31:54 Inclusion What Means34:14 Bigger System Questions36:10 Curriculum Time Squeeze38:19 Home Factors Screen Time40:09 Unconvention Ethos Wrap 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

    Education Unconvention: Reading 1

  5. May 24

    Interview 34: Patty McGee

    In this episode of If I Were the Minister for Education, I speak with US educator, consultant and author Patty McGee about transforming grammar teaching away from dry worksheets and red-pen correction towards inquiry, curiosity and delight, connected to real writing. Patty explains how traditional grammar instruction can create discomfort and inequity, and reframes grammar as a tool for communicating with clarity and connection, noting differences between spoken, book and standard grammar and how grammar evolves. She shares practical classroom experiences: brief, frequent sessions using talk in partnerships, comparing concepts (such as simple and compound sentences), explicit instruction with accessible language (like FANBOYS), hands-on manipulatives for playful practice, and reflection to consolidate learning. We also discuss Ireland’s evolving curriculum, trust in teachers, and Patty’s wish to bring literacy practices to schools, as well as her view that literacy should be defined as meaning-making and sharing voice. 00:00 Welcome and Teaser 01:22 Meet Patty McGee 02:24 Ireland Connection 03:17 Why Grammar Gets Hated 05:54 Beyond Grammar Police 08:00 Teachers and Discrete Grammar 11:46 Three Buckets of Grammar 14:09 Playful Grammar Experiences 19:23 Irish Curriculum Reflections 21:30 Workshops and School Support 24:50 Trust and Respect in Education 26:51 Minister for a Day 29:26 Where to Find Patty 30:44 Final Thanks and Sign Off 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

    Interview 34: Patty McGee

  6. Apr 25

    Interview 33: Gavin Doyle

    In this episode of “If I were the Minister for Education”, I interview Gavin Doyle, a Dublin secondary teacher and founder of Examinaite, about AI and technology in education. Gavin describes his path from teaching and high-level basketball to software development after time in San Francisco, and explains Examinaite’s aim to reduce teacher workload through a bank of 25,000 Leaving Cert past questions with AI-supported marking, feedback, progress tracking, and generation of new differentiated mock questions, with potential for printable resources. They discuss using AI to tailor learning to pupils’ interests, varying tech access in primary schools, and tools like NotebookLM and Claude for turning long texts into podcasts and creating engaging resources. They address concerns about AI cheating, limits of AI detection, assessment changes, and suggest more in-person exams, oral work, and teaching responsible, gradual AI use. Gavin also outlines “Craicathon”, a Gaeilge-focused hackathon at Dogpatch Labs with projects like Irish sign language translation, Irish-friendly venue maps with phrases, and an Irish-event rating app, and shares views on AI driving more personalised education and the importance of grit, resilience, and open-mindedness.00:00 Welcome and Subscribe00:47 Meet Gavin Doyle01:51 Gavin’s Teaching and Tech Journey04:15 AI for Teachers Explained06:33 Cutting Admin and Corrections07:41 Examinaite for Leaving Cert Prep11:12 Primary Tech Reality Check12:04 Personalised Learning and New Questions16:13 AI Makes Coding Accessible18:28 Irish Language Tech Hackathon25:25 Creative Classroom AI Tools26:35 AI for Learning Styles27:09 NotebookLM Classroom Magic28:02 Claude Quizzes and Websites29:42 Cheating and Detection Limits32:25 AI Proof Assessment Ideas33:30 Teaching Responsible AI Use35:15 Internet to AI Parallels37:09 Personalisation and COVID Shift38:30 Alpha School Future Model42:23 Minister for Education Vision44:36 Future Skills Grit Resilience48:16 Wrap Up and Contact Info49:34 Host Closing Reflections 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

    Interview 33: Gavin Doyle

  7. Apr 13

    Lies, Damn Lies and School Patronage

    In this episode of If I were the Minister for Education, I unpack the Department of Education’s primary school survey and the headline claim that 40% of parents in denominational primary schools would prefer their school to be multidenominational. I admit I was wrong to assume parents would simply vote for the status quo, and I argue this figure is a remarkable tipping point, especially given how quickly some commentators tried to minimise it by claiming it represents only 16% overall. I question why only partial statistics were released, warn how narratives harden before full data emerges, and describe how “cultural Catholics”, church bodies and the state all benefit from a system driven as much by convenience and control as belief. If I were Minister, I’d publish all the data fast and remove patronage as the dividing line to build one inclusive system. 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

    Lies, Damn Lies and School Patronage

  8. Mar 28

    Interview 32: Dr. Ross Greene and Ruth Eadie

    In this episode of If I Were the Minister for Education, I explore how behaviour support in Irish primary schools has shifted from corporal punishment to rewards and consequences, and now toward restorative practice, nurture spaces, and Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS). I’m joined by Dr. Ross Greene, founder of Lives in the Balance and author of The Explosive Child, Lost at School, and The Kids Who Aren’t OK, and by Ruth Edie, principal in Dublin 18 and a certified CPS trainer. We discuss CPS’s focus on solving the unsolved problems behind concerning behaviour through proactive, collaborative Plan B conversations, including the ASEP process and practical “drilling” strategies. We also compare CPS with restorative practice, address concerns about time and “letting kids off,” and share resources (livesinthebalance.org/ireland). I dedicate the episode to my late deputy principal Emer and HSE psychologist Toby. 00:00 Welcome and Overview 00:39 Behavior Shifts in Schools 01:59 Discovering CPS 03:10 Dedication and Intro 03:48 Meet Ross and Ruth 05:18 Ross Green Background 06:26 Ruth Eadie Journey 10:05 What Is CPS 13:14 ASEP and Unsolved Problems 15:06 Plan B Conversation 19:47 Drilling Strategies 21:09 When CPS Starts 22:49 Handling I Don’t Know 24:33 Ireland Context Setup 25:17 Piloting CPS in Ireland 25:50 Tribute to Toby and Emer 27:12 Restorative Practice vs CPS 29:16 What CPS Adds for Teachers 30:18 Finding Time for CPS 32:48 Common Pushback and Myths 35:56 Where to Learn CPS 38:05 Minister for a Day 41:48 Final Resources and Farewell 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

    Interview 32: Dr. Ross Greene and Ruth Eadie
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About

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

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