Anseo.net - If I were the Minister for Education
Episodes
Live Poetry Reading: Catholics up to no good, as usual
14 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Forgive the paraphrased Father Ted quote but it's probably appropriate after reading Emma O'Kelly's excellent article: "Bishops sought 'commitment' on...
Minister Josepha making schools Mad-again.
02 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week (May 31st) the SNA allocations were released to primary schools. It had been promised that a new frontloading model was to be used but for a...
Interview 9: Climate Crisis with the Irish Schools Sustainability Network
26 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
One thing that binds us all together is our planet, and it would seem surprising if teachers around the country wouldn't be worried about the impendin...
interview 8: All About Chess with Ficheall.ie
24 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Probably my own claim to fame was that I once represented Ireland in the Olympics playing chess. And before you go googling, it was 1993 and it was th...
Episode 076: Communion Season: You can't have your cupcake and eat it
21 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Every May in Ireland, newspapers, magazines and radio shows are full of talk about Communion Season, as it seems collectively to be known. And during ...
Interview 7: John Gunnell - Reconfiguring to a CNS
18 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In September 2022, Nenagh will become the town with the first "thriving" school to reconfigure to the ETB and change from being a Catholic School to b...
Post Pandemic Boundaries
12 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
I hate to bring the C word up again, especially so soon after we seemed, as a nation, to decide that COVID19 was all over and we could start shaking h...
Interview 6: Annie Asgard - All About EAL
04 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If I was the Minister for Education, I think I'd hire my guest this week as my deputy! If you don't know Annie Asgard, you are in for a treat. Annie a...
Patronage and Pluralism Forum 10 years on: The Solution and The Future
30 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As I’m sure you’ve probably figured out by now, I could talk about the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism forever and I’m sure I’ll be coming ba...
Patronage and Pluralism Forum 10 years on: Don't Ask, Don't Tell
22 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The paradoxical relationship that most Irish people have with the church baffles me. I can't understand why people care so little about the fact that ...
Patronage and Pluralism Forum 10 years on: The Collapse
19 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we continue our exploration of why the Pluralism and Patronage Forum didn't succeed as we move to Malahide, where the final nail in t...
Patronage and Pluralism Forum 10 years on: The Castlebar Divestment
16 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we focus on one of the maddest sagas in the divestment process: Castlebar. If ever there was a school that didn't think they'd see the...
Patronage and Pluralism Forum 10 years on: Choice
10 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Choice is always good, right? In this part I try to convince you that when it comes to schools, it is the root of all that's wrong in the system. Furt...
Patronage and Pluralism Forum 10 years on: History
07 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On 10th April 2022, The Forum for Patronage and Pluralism Report will be 10 years old. In the first of a short series of episodes analysing its failur...
A Browse Around BETT 2022 p2
03 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Part 2 of my recommendations from #BETT22. Some links to help: Original Blog Post COOL from Cloudwise ClassLink Tom Rogers Top Ten podcasts neal.fun...
A Browse Around BETT 2022 p1
30 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
After a 10 year gap, I returned to the BETT conference and in this episode I explore some educational technology you might be interested in for your c...
Episode 075: A Confusing Meander Through Teacher Training
23 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
After Ruairi Quinn amalgamated the Teacher Training Colleges into a few different universities, most of them kept their “characteristic spirit” (g...
Interview 5: Yvonne Cassidy
16 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Yvonne Cassidy is the chair of the Irish Ethical Celebrants' Society. They are launching two new ceremonies for children aged 8 and 12, which coincide...
🇺🇦 What Ukrainian Refugees Will Need in our Schools
13 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As thousands of Ukrainian families arrive in Ireland, I explore what they will need as they come to our schools. I discuss a number of issues includin...
Episode 074: What in the name of god is reconfiguration?
11 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
My frustration with reconfiguration is laid bare as the Department of Education does some shady dealings with the Catholic Church. In this episode I e...
Episode 073 part 5: A Proper Plan for Technology
09 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this final part, I explain what I would do if I had all the basics but also had some spare cash. I'm not going to lie...you'll be disappointed. Thi...
Episode 073 part 4: A Proper Plan for Technology
02 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
So you have the basic foundations of technology in your school, what next? Instead of going through lots of complicated blossy brochures, follow my 3 ...
Special Episode: The End of COVID19 in Schools
26 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The recent announcement of all remaining restrictions in schools this week has raised a number of questions about the education landscape post COVID19...
Episode 073 part 3: A Proper Plan for Technology
23 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This part of the episode goes through the basic foundations that every school should have when it comes to technology. This is a public episode. If ...
Episode 073 part 2: A Proper Plan for Technology
16 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In Part 2 of this episode, I chart the lost 20 years we had in Ireland from 1997 in terms of technology. Find out what the reason was, and no, you won...
Episode 073 part 1: A Proper Plan for Technology
09 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Perhaps for the first time ever, Irish primary schools have some money to spend on edtech. In this 5 part episode, I go through a simple plan for inte...
Episode 072: Make School Transport Free
02 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Department of Education are seeking submissions to improve the School Transport Service. By the end of this episode, I bet they'll be sorry they a...
Episode 071: Scrap Catholic Schools' Week Part 2
27 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In Part 2 of this episode, I explain why Catholic Schools' Week is like having a Men Only Golf Club then celebrating Men's Week during the year. By th...
Episode 071: Scrap Catholic Schools' Week Part 1
25 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's Catholic Schools' Week in Ireland. In the first part of this 2-part episode, I examine why there's no need for this annual celebration. It is clo...
Episode 070: Make Primary School Actually Free
20 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Donagh O'Malley is often referred to as the greatest Minister of all time for introducing free second level education. Well, move over O'Malley, there...
Episode 069: Centre Broadband Hubs around Schools
14 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We are also always being told that schools are supposed to be centres of communities, especially in rural areas. If that’s the case, then it follows...
Reopening Schools - January 2022
03 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's Monday, 3rd January 2022. Schools are due to open in 3 days. There are over 20,000 cases of COVID19 per day going around. Shops are closing due t...
Dismantling everything a Minister says about COVID in schools
01 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On New Year's Eve, Stephen Donnelly was interviewed on RTE Radio 1 about COVID19. The last 2 minutes of the interview focused on schools where he mana...
Christmas Special 2021: Part 2
22 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
As we come to the end of 2021, I continue my Advent Calendar of my favourite moments of 2021 in education. And no singing from me this time, I promise...
Christmas Special 2021: Part 1
22 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this special Christmas Special, I look back at our schools to find the highlights of the year where schools dominated the headlines - mainly in cas...
Interview 4: Audrey Bryan
21 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Is all well with wellbeing in schools? In this chat, I discuss wellbeing with Audrey Bryan where we find out why there's such a buzz about wellbeing i...
Live Poetry Reading: Children's Lives Matter Report
15 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Children's Lives Matter Report was published a couple of weeks ago. It is the third report, so far, in the series, and is one of the only reports ...
Unsanitised: A Virus More Dangerous than COVID-19
02 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
With all the mixed messaging about schools, it has become very hard to believe what's being said. This is a real pity as we’ll see in this special e...
Unsanitised: Is the substitute crisis really over?
24 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this live recorded episode I run through the note released by the Department of Education releasing extra people into the system to cover the sub c...
Unsanitised: Get Ready for Antigen Testing
19 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
My immediate-ish reaction to the news that Antigen Testing is coming to schools. Recorded on the evening on the announcement. This is a public episode...
Interview 3: Paula Galvin
13 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
I was delighted to chat to Paula Galvin, a teacher of over 40 years. We discuss everything from the limitations of textbooks, why teachers are afraid ...
Special Episode: My Primary Curriculum NCCA Submission
13 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The NCCA are currently doing consultations on the plans for the new curriculum. I have major issues with the draft and I want to talk about them! This...
Episode 068: All Special Classes get an Admin Principal
09 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In October 2021, Teaching Principals were told that if they opened 2 special classes, they would become an admin principal. This decision affected aro...
Episode 067: How Clean is Your School?
05 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Did you know the Department of Education doesn't provide a specific grant for cleaning staff so schools have to cobble together the money from funds t...
Special Episode: Mid-Term Circuit Break
21 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
As we crawl to the mid term break, I look back on the extraordinary week when representative bodies forgot their only job (to represent their members)...
Interview 2: Anne Hartnett (Episode 066) What Special Schools Need
15 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
I've never worked in a Special School so what right have I to say what they need. Luckily I had some help! In this episode I interview Anne Hartnett, ...
Special Episode: Norma Foley - Signficantly out of touch
13 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Based on a super interview by Kieran Cuddihy on Newstalk today, Minister Norma Foley tried to explain why her department removed Banked Hours from chi...
Episode 065: Prioritise Local Companies for Tendering
08 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This might not sounds like the most interesting episode in the world but if you ever wondered why it takes so long for your school to fix a leaking ro...
Episode 064: Caretakers should be paid directly by the Department of Education
30 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
School caretakers are paid from the ancillary grant, which is given to all schools by the Department of Education each year based on the number of pup...
Interview 1: Dr. Gary Keogh
21 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
For the last couple of years, I’ve been telling you what I would do if I were the Minister for Education but today I am joined by Gary Keogh, who, a...
Special Episode: COVID19 How was your Back to School?
16 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
I haven't done an episode about COVID19 in a long time because I'd just be repeating myself. However, big decisions need to be made and I outline what...
Episode 063: Pay Principals for all the People they manage
09 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Principals are only paid by the DES to manage teachers, not SNAs, not caretakers, not secretaries nor bus escorts or anyone else. In this episode, I’...
Episode 062: Repeal the 37th
31 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Incredibly, it is possible for a teacher to be fired if it can be proved that their religious views undermine the ethos of a school. In this episode I...
Episode 061: A Transparent Consultation Process
05 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
While one could never put the word "honest" in the same sentence as "politician", the concept of spin has never been more rampant. Even the word spin ...
Episode 060: Ensure Proper School Insurance
31 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How in the name of whatever god you like, does school insurance manage to get wrapped up with the Catholic Church? In this episode, I try to make an e...
Special Episode: Thank You, Racists - Part 2/2
23 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On July 9th 2021, I was subjected to some racist abuse on social media from members of the National Party. In part 2 of this special episode, I contin...
Special Episode: Thank You, Racists - Part 1/2
22 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On July 9th 2021, I was subjected to some racist abuse on social media from members of the National Party. In this special 2 part episode, I talk abou...
Special Episode: What we'll keep after COVID19 - Part 5
04 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The final part of this series where I explore life after COVID19 in schools where I whip through PODs and Bubbles, fridges in staff rooms, principal...
Special Episode: What we'll keep after COVID19 - Part 4
04 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this part of this episode, I explore what school will be like after COVID19 and ponder on whether we need schoolbags anymore, how school tours will...
Special Episode: What we'll keep after COVID19 Part 3
29 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this part of the episode, I'll explore whether we should keep direct email communication with families, virtual assemblies, soft openings and the r...
Special Episode: What we'll keep after COVID19 Part 2
27 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Fianna Fáil are like that class you can't leave for one minute. The second your back is turned they're off causing mischief. In less than 2 days sinc...
Special Episode: What we'll keep after COVID19
25 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this special look back at 2020-21, I'll examine some of the things we might keep once COVID19 restrictions end. This is part 1 and I'll be offering...
Episode 059: Pay Developing Schools based on current Enrollments
17 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I explore a number of ways developing schools are screwed over by the Department of Education in terms of money and resources. Funnil...
Live Poetry Reading: Departmental Strategy Statement (2021-23)
10 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Departmental Strategy Statement (2021-23) was released this week with all sorts of goals for education. Listen to me grumble my way through this d...
Episode 058: Reduce Circulars to a Maximum 1 per Term
04 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Did you know that up until from 1997 to 2012, there were never more than around 40 circulars produced by the Department of Education in a year? Since ...
Live Poetry Reading: Venting about Ventilation
28 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Although it's nearly June 2021, it feels like it's August 2020, with another lot of documents published late in the week from the Department of Educat...
Live Poetry Reading: Summer Programme 2021 Summer-ised
21 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this special episode I take the guidelines from this year's summer programme and try and explain how it will all work to any school thinking of doi...
Episode 057: Provide Online Wage Slips
13 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Did you know it costs the State €2m every year to post out payslips to school staff? In this episode I look at examples of wasting money in the Depa...
Poetry Reading: (Part 2) Recommendations for Additional Educational Needs in schools
07 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In part 2 of this episode, I spend about an hour going through the 9 recommendations from the National Principals' Forum in their report on Additional...
Poetry Reading: 9 Recommendations for Additional Educational Needs (part 1)
07 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this special episode, I look at the report written by the National Principals' Forum, titled: Critical Analysis of Supports for Pupils with Additio...
Episode 056: A Paper-Free Curriculum
30 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In my first school it cost us 7c per page to photocopy a black and white sheet. It taught me to try and not use the photocopier very often and when I ...
Episode 055: Set a contract of hours for teachers
23 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever heard anyone give out about radio presenters with their cushy jobs only working 2 hours a day? In this episode I try to explore what tea...
Episode 054: Provide a Principal Step Down Facility
15 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
You might not know that if a principal relinquishes his or her position, they are relegated to the most junior member of staff in a school. This is di...
INTO Congress 2021: All Talk, No Vaccinations
08 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The pandemic shone a strong light on the last decade of cuts to the education system and Congress is usually a time where members can voice their dism...
Special Episode: Aren't we the April Fools?
31 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
After all the platitudes about how important schools are and all the promises that we'd be prioritised for a vaccine, sure what better way to show tha...
Episode 53: Scrap Private Teacher Training Colleges
25 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I celebrate the rise of Hibernia College into the Education System but then wonder whether it's time for it to either bow out or be bo...
Episode 052: Have specialised qualifications for Infant teachers
19 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
If you’re a regular listener to this podcast, you’ll know that I did my teaching qualification in the UK and qualified with a PGCE. However, my PG...
Episode 051: Cluster OTs and SLTs to Schools
11 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When a child requires OT or SLT support, they join a very long waiting list with the HSE and when they finally get an appointment, they might be taken...
Episode 050: Scrap Drama
05 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ireland has a long, proud history of drama. Drama is the only literary arts subject in the primary curriculum that is a subject in its own right. Poet...
Episode 049: Provide specialist teachers for Irish
25 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
If there’s one way to rouse the inner nationalist in any citizen of this country, it’s to bring up the subject of Gaeilge in schools. The most lai...
Episode 048: Scrap the Supplementary Panel
19 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Before I even start, I realise that this episode will alienate a whole bunch of people. The reaction I’ll get to this episode will be more violent t...
Episode 047: Have properly resourced sub panels
11 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
For the last decade, it has been next to impossible to get substitute teachers when someone is out of work. While there have been moves to address thi...
Live Poetry Reading: Framework Plan for Phased Return of Primary School Education
04 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
After a month of bickering, taking sides and spinning public health advice, the unions and the DES got back to the table to try and partially reopen s...
PSSA2 - which way should you vote?
01 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
At first glance, if you read the INTO documentation, the new PSSA finally achieves pay equality and benchmarking for principals. However, very quickly...
Why you shouldn't go zooming off to do live online lessons
25 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I try and explain why Live Zoom Lessons are not the holy grail many people think they are. I also ponder as to why the very people wan...
Unsanitised: A Seed of a Plan for Reopening
22 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The thing that has struck me most about the debate around the reopening and even the partial reopening of schools is the fact that everyone involved i...
Unsanitised: A Fine Mess We've Gotten Ourselves Into
20 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What a mess! The last few weeks have shown the worst examples of leadership from people who are supposed to look out for school staff, the pupils and ...
Schools Are Safe. Schools Are Safe. Schools Are Safe?
16 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
With one in 50 Irish people contracting COVID19 in the last 2 weeks alone, the tracing service unable to cope with demand and hospitals becoming overw...
Unsanitised: Everything I Learned about Remote Learning in the First Lockdown
15 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This is a recording of a short talk I gave at the recent ISAG webinar on school closures, where I gave my experience about working in the system. Apar...
Unsanitised: The SWOT Analysis
06 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Micheal Martin still insists that “schools are safe” and it's the movement of the million people getting to the schools that's the real issue. How...
Unsanitised: Happy New Year - what now?
02 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Christmas - a time for giving...each other the COVID19 virus. Yes, the lifting of restrictions did not pan out as the government had hoped with cases ...
Top 20 Moments of 2020 - Primary Education
21 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Just what you need for your drive home for Christmas, another 2020 review! I've compiled 20 moments in primary education in 2020 and look forward to n...
Special Episode: #ISupportClaremorris
13 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is about a school. A school where over 10% of their pupils have had a positive diagnosis of COVID19. A school where its Board decided tha...
Special Episode: #GRMA - Thanks but no thanks
11 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In case you missed it, today has been designated GRMA day, a day dreamed up to make people say thank you to people working in schools over the last nu...
Episode 046: Ban the Rote Learning of Tables
03 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Back in my day, the only way we learned our tables was by learning them off by heart. The motivation of doing so was to avoid being humiliated by your...
Untangling the Christmas Decorations
01 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
I often compare the Primary Education System to the decorations you find in the attic. Every time you try to untangle a knot, a new knot appears and a...
Episode 045: Diversify the Profession
26 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Primary school teaching is most likely one of the least diverse professions in the country. In this episode I explore why this is the case. I don't th...
Episode 044: Trademark the title of Teacher
19 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Does it annoy you when someone who isn't a teacher calls themselves a teacher? If you're in any way sensible, it probably doesn't. In this, less-than-...
Episode 043: Scrap Section 29s
12 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
There are some terms that give any teacher the fear. Put the letters WSE together and you’ll get a wave of panic. Drive-by does something similar. P...
Unsanitised Poetry Reading: Circular 74/2020
10 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Back in March/April, most schools had come up with a plan for remote learning with the schools closed and all. It only took the Department of Educatio...