Anseo.net - If I were the Minister for Education

Episode 2: Soft Barriers

In this episode I explore the role of the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), a quango responsible for organising resources for special education. I trace the NCSE'…

If you were to walk into any primary school and compared it to the classroom you might have sat in only a generation ago, apart from a big screen instead of a blackboard, the biggest difference you w…

If you were to walk into any primary school and compared it to the classroom you might have sat in only a generation ago, apart from a big screen instead of a blackboard, the biggest difference you w…

You will not be surprised to hear that my first podcast of the 2024-2025 school year is about religion in schools. It's a topic I'm always coming back to and it never ceases to amaze me of how many d…

This week, I focus on the significant challenges within special education. I cover recently published inspectorate findings, testimonies from school principals, and a detailed report by a group of pa…

I don't know about you, but when I think about Special Education, in general, I think about 3 options - mainstream, special classes and special schools. However, special schools are not simply a one-…

In this episode, I examine the complex topic of teaching children about war, specifically focusing on the Israel-Gaza conflict. Drawing from my personal background and experiences, I explore the intr…

Over the last couple of years I've chatted to a number of people about wellbeing in the classroom but usually from a child's point of view. And I've talked about resilience, growth mindset, all that …

In this episode of 'If I Were the Minister for Education', I delve into the struggles faced by families in securing school placements for children with additional needs, the inefficiencies of the Nat…

As Meja sang (I had to google her!), this episode is all about the money and it's all about the dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb decisions recently made by the Department of Education. I look at the School B…

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 teache…

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 loomin…

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 …

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. Fi…

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 …

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 an…

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 r…

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.youtu…

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 number…

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 chil…