• Anseo.net - If I were the Minister for Education

  • By: Simon Lewis
  • Podcast

Anseo.net - If I were the Minister for Education

By: Simon Lewis
  • Summary

  • 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.
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Episodes
  • Interview 25: Roisin Brady from LanguageNut
    Apr 21 2025

    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 out.

    Find more: http://languagenut.com/

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    39 mins
  • The True Cost of Underfunding in Irish Primary Schools
    Mar 31 2025

    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 constraints. I delve into the history and structure of funding for primary schools, highlighting how the Department of Education's capitation grants have not kept pace with rising costs, such as electricity, gas, and wages. As usual I critique the patronage system and propose that the Department of Education should be directly responsible for the financial management of schools to address these ongoing challenges.

    All shownotes and data available on: https://simonmlewis.medium.com/a-school-may-have-to-close-due-to-lack-of-funding-how-has-it-come-to-this-9392b568977b

    Get my newsletter every fortnight to your inbox on: https://www.anseo.net/subscribe

    • 00:43 Case Study: Sacred Heart Junior National School
    • 03:01 Funding Challenges in Irish Primary Schools
    • 03:48 Detailed Analysis of School Funding
    • 06:31 Impact of Rising Costs on Schools
    • 09:29 Historical Context and Comparisons
    • 27:51 Proposed Solutions and Conclusion

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    35 mins
  • Who owns the solar panels in schools and why does nobody care?
    Mar 17 2025

     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 given a set of solar panels. And the main talk from those in the profession has been why The decision was made that no matter what size your school is, you'll be getting the same number of solar panels.

    So very tiny schools will be getting the same number of solar panels as a very big school, which of course doesn't make any sense. However, I don't think I'd be able to make an entire podcast out. of that. And instead, I want to look at the solar panel issue from a different perspective. And that is who's going to own them.

    🗒️ Show notes are available on my Medium Blog: https://simonmlewis.medium.com/who-will-own-the-solar-panels-in-primary-schools-and-why-does-nobody-care-c12cf9ae1c20

    📌 Subscribe to my newsletter on https://www.anseo.net/subscribe

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    23 mins

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