Podcasts · Education

Anseo.net - If I were the Minister for Education

Simon Lewis

295 episodes

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

Episodes page 1 of 6

  1. Unconvention: Special Education Podcast

    · 39 min

    After three months focused on special education, I recap debates on routes into special education teaching, SNA issues (including the 72-hour proposal), professional development and respect, special classes/schools,…

  2. Interview 41: Aoife Hughes (ADHD Coach)

    · 46 min

    In this episode of If I Were the Minister for Education, I speak with Aoife Hughes, a professional ADHD coach and educator, during ADHD Awareness Month. Aoife shares her story as a late-identified ADHD and autistic…

  3. Interview 40: Ronan McGovern

    · 38 min

    In this episode of If I Were the Minister for Education, I speak with Ronan McGovern about ADHD and its impact in Irish primary and secondary schooling. Ronan outlines his education and career path from Dublin to…

  4. Interview 39: Removing Diagnosis for Special Education with Debbie O’Neill

    · 54 min

    In this episode, I speak with Debbie O’Neill, principal of Scoil Eoin in Crumlin about Department-level proposals to remove diagnosis as a criterion for access to special classes and special schools, replacing it with…

  5. A Very Alternative Budget 2027

    · 49 min

    In this week’s podcast I focus on Budget 2027, outlining an alternative primary education budget and arguing that annual measures like capitation increases, extra teachers, and more SNAs prop up a flawed system rather…

  6. Unconvention: Patronage Report Stage 1

    · 30 min

    In this first report on patronage, I introduce my Unconvention fringe to the Convention on Education, where I gather public responses and research (using AI to help collate and draft) into reports and podcast episodes;…

  7. Interview 38: Ciara O'Connor Walsh

    · 42 min

    In this episode, I speak with Ciara O’Connor Walsh, Creative Director at youth mental health charity A Lust For Life, about the transition from primary to secondary school. We discuss how practical worries (lockers,…

  8. Interview 37: Noel Davidson

    · 36 min

    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…

  9. Interview 36: Grace Brennan

    · 33 min

    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…

  10. Interview 35: Eithne Walsh

    · 45 min

    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…

  11. Education Unconvention: Reading 1

    · 46 min

    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…

  12. Interview 34: Patty McGee

    · 31 min

    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,…

  13. Interview 33: Gavin Doyle

    · 51 min

    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…

  14. Lies, Damn Lies and School Patronage

    · 43 min

    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…

  15. Interview 32: Dr. Ross Greene and Ruth Eadie

    · 45 min

    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,…

  16. Interview 31: Deirdre O'Toole

    · 49 min

    Deirdre O’Toole is one of Ireland’s best known educators. She started her well-known Instagram page in 2018 - the Playful Classroom, which explored early infant education - but had since become heavily involved in…

  17. A Pause for Thought on SNA Allocations

    · 37 min

    In this episode of If I were the Minister for Education, I break down what happened after projected SNA allocations for the 2026/27 school year showed roughly 200 schools set to lose at least one Special Needs…

  18. The Story of the Primary Language Curriculum

    · 27 min

    In this episode of ‘If I Were the Minister for Education,’ I discuss the tumultuous journey of the Irish Primary Language Curriculum since its inception in 2016. I explain the confusing and unworkable nature of the…

  19. The most boring podcast you'll ever hear

    · 40 min

    I couldn’t think of a better title to this week’s podcast which is all about admin work. Unfortunately, the biggest change to my job in the last decade or two is the crazy increase in administrative work and constant…

  20. The Anseo.net Review of 2025

    · 48 min

    In this episode I offer a comprehensive review of Irish primary education for the year 2025. I cover various educational policies, initiatives, and challenges, spanning teacher shortages, special education crises, the…

  21. AI Explains the 2025 School Year

    · 15 min

    Every time I open Google’s NotebookLM, it gets better and better. The graphic above was created using the app and I think it did a good job of summarising the year in a single graphic. The podcast didn’t do a bad job…

  22. Interview 30: Amanda Jolliffe, Lead Microsoft Dream Space

    · 47 min

    In this episode of 'If I were the Minister for Education', I delve into the integration of AI in the Irish Primary Education System joined by Amanda Jolliffe, the lead of Microsoft Ireland's Dream Space, to discuss the…

  23. What's the point of the Primary Ethos Survey?

    · 29 min

    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…

  24. Interview 29: Debbie O'Neill (LIVE)

    · 55 min

    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…

  25. Guidance on Artificial Intelligence in Schools

    · 13 min

    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…

  26. Interview 27: Rozz Lewis

    · 45 min

    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…

  27. SCABS: Are We Undermining the Strike Already?

    · 33 min

    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…

  28. Interview 26: Patrick Jackson, Picker Pals

    · 31 min

    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…

  29. What we can learn from the UK when it comes to religion in schools

    · 32 min

    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…

  30. The Catholic Church Has the Least to Lose if Sacraments Leave Schools

    · 22 min

    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…

  31. Interview 26: Paula Korsnakova and Eliane Segers (IEA)

    · 48 min

    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…

  32. Interview 25: Roisin Brady from LanguageNut

    · 39 min

    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…

  33. The True Cost of Underfunding in Irish Primary Schools

    · 35 min

    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…

  34. Who owns the solar panels in schools and why does nobody care?

    · 23 min

    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…

  35. Interview 24: Rob Barnett

    · 33 min

    Rob Barnett is the co-founder and Chief Product Officer of Modern Classrooms Project, a really interesting project which, at its core, tries to use technology for better human interaction and relationships in the…

  36. A Love Letter to the new Minister for Education

    · 29 min

    Despite my 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…

  37. Interview 23: Muireann Sadlier

    · 56 min

    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…

  38. 10 Reasons to Be Hopeful for Education in 2025

    · 46 min

    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…

  39. Review of the Year 2024 - July to December

    · 36 min

    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…

  40. Review of the Year 2024 - January to June

    · 27 min

    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…

  41. Who will be the next Minister for Education?

    · 44 min

    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…

  42. My Election Manifesto

    · 33 min

    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: • Patronage • Special Education •…

  43. Access Undone: The Collapse of Special Education [Episode 6]

    · 22 min

    In this final episode of Access Undone, I try to outline the ways I would reverse the damage that has been caused in the last decade by the Department of Education and NCSE. I explore three solutions and argue that if…

  44. Access Undone: The Collapse of Special Education [Episode 5]

    · 18 min

    When I appeared on Virgin Media television's "Ireland's Education Crisis," I thought my phone would be buzzing from radio stations eager to find out why I thought the way we treat children with additional needs is…

  45. Access Undone: The Collapse of Special Education [Episode 4]

    · 27 min

    The AON Debacle and what it tells us In this episode I cover the controversial Assessment of Need (AON) process which, to me, shows how the power of silence, supported by the illusion of partnership that…

  46. Access Undone: The Collapse of Special Education [Episode 3]

    · 36 min

    Episode 3: Those with the greatest needs The episode examines the troubling history of the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) and its policies, including the controversial cuts to resources and the…

  47. Access Undone: The Collapse of Special Education [Episode 2]

    · 26 min

    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's establishment…

  48. Access Undone: The Collapse of Special Education [Episode 1]

    · 28 min

    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 would see is the…

  49. Access Undone: The Collapse of Special Education [trailer]

    · 1:38

    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 would see is the…

  50. What do most schools mean when they say Religious Education?

    · 26 min

    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 different angles you…

Shows are listed from Apple Podcasts' charts and directory, and Podcast Index where it is used. Every show and episode belongs to its publisher and plays from the publisher's own feed; this site hosts none of them. Explicit shows are for adult profiles only, and children’s profiles hear only children’s shows. More about this list.