Join me as I tackle a question that I feel we should be asking more often: Is the Catholic Certificate in Religious Education discriminatory? Following on from Peter Maguire’s excellent article on the subject, I dive into all sides of the debate, chatting about the contents of the certificate, the challenges it poses for non-Catholics, … Read more
There is an unprecedented shortage of primary school teachers in Ireland, according to an Irish Times article after a joint survey from the INTO, IPPN and CPSMA revealed there are over 800 teaching positions left unfilled at the moment and it’s due to get worse. So, where are all the teachers and what would I … Read more
In this special interview with the co-founder of Clever.com, Dab Carroll, I talk about all things Clever but also about the US education system. We also discuss his thoughts on technology in education and how to best use it. Clever.com is now available in Ireland so we talk about that decision too. To sign up … Read more
In this episode, I discuss the people that made it in 11th to 20th position in the Irish Times 2011 article and find out where they are now. Show notes and links can be found on my Medium channel: https://simonmlewis.medium.com/the-50-most-influential-people-in-education-where-are-they-now-part-2-5-a2679e119641
Sarah Webb and Conor Bredin join me to discuss the fantastic Discover Irish Children’s Books initiative (https://discoveririshkidsbooks.ie/) Join us as we delve into the world of kids’ books and make some recommendations for some Irish authors you may not know.
Twelve years ago, the Irish Times published an article, out of the blue, which listed the top 50 most influential people in education. It was compiled over four weeks and the journalists stated that key figures (without naming them) were asked to compile their own lists confidentially. The names that featured were the most prominent … Read more
One of my biggest bug bears is when a primary school calls itself inclusive. For one, in Ireland, it is impossible to be fully inclusive because schools are completely reliant on government funding and the allocation of resources. For example over 90% of schools in a self-assessed survey revealed that they didn’t have enough resources … Read more
Why are primary school teachers like me going on the radio talking about banning smartphones? In this episode I wonder why it is schools, yet again, being asked to police society. Blog Post: https://medium.com/@slewis7796/smartphone-bans-and-schools-solving-societal-issues-6e1273403c23
If you were listening to the last episode of If I Were the Minister for Education, you’ll know that I was talking about Artificial Intelligence and how I believed it was going to change everything. In the episode, I said I was going to try out A.I. to create an episode and this is the … Read more
Technology and education have a strange relationship in Ireland. If a teacher said to a parent or another teacher or anyone at all that they really didn’t like Maths so they don’t bother teaching it or using it, there would be uproar. And rightly so. However, even in 2023, you’ll still hear teachers saying they’re … Read more