Anseo.net - If I were the Minister for Education

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 Education by sharing progress and inviting contributions online. The first theme is reading, explored through debates about Reading Recovery, UFLI, and dyslexia, alongside reading schools and reading classes. I describe tensions between research evidence and teachers’ lived experience, including questions about independent Irish evaluation of Reading Recovery and what should replace it if flaws are found. Teachers praise UFLI’s structure and results, while others caution against treating any programme as a silver bullet. On dyslexia, contributors argue for either specialists, stronger teacher knowledge, or expanded specialist provision, raising wider questions about inclusion. Across all topics, recurring themes include time, resources, workload, training, disadvantage, home literacy, and defining what success in literacy should look like.00:00 Welcome to Unconvention02:20 Why Reading Matters05:05 Reading Recovery Debate07:43 Research Versus Experience10:37 What Counts as Evidence15:12 UFLI Takes Off18:07 Program Hype Cycle23:33 Dyslexia Mainstream Reality25:36 Mainstream or Specialist26:54 Highest Need Critique27:36 Expertise Without Roles29:13 Every Teacher Dyslexia30:51 Reading Classes Debate31:54 Inclusion What Means34:14 Bigger System Questions36:10 Curriculum Time Squeeze38:19 Home Factors Screen Time40:09 Unconvention Ethos Wrap


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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, curiosity and delight, connected to real writing. Patty explains how traditional grammar instruction can create discomfort and inequity, and reframes grammar as a tool for communicating with clarity and connection, noting differences between spoken, book and standard grammar and how grammar evolves. She shares practical classroom experiences: brief, frequent sessions using talk in partnerships, comparing concepts (such as simple and compound sentences), explicit instruction with accessible language (like FANBOYS), hands-on manipulatives for playful practice, and reflection to consolidate learning. We also discuss Ireland’s evolving curriculum, trust in teachers, and Patty’s wish to bring literacy practices to schools, as well as her view that literacy should be defined as meaning-making and sharing voice.
00:00 Welcome and Teaser
01:22 Meet Patty McGee
02:24 Ireland Connection
03:17 Why Grammar Gets Hated
05:54 Beyond Grammar Police
08:00 Teachers and Discrete Grammar
11:46 Three Buckets of Grammar
14:09 Playful Grammar Experiences
19:23 Irish Curriculum Reflections
21:30 Workshops and School Support
24:50 Trust and Respect in Education
26:51 Minister for a Day
29:26 Where to Find Patty
30:44 Final Thanks and Sign Off


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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 high-level basketball to software development after time in San Francisco, and explains Examinaite’s aim to reduce teacher workload through a bank of 25,000 Leaving Cert past questions with AI-supported marking, feedback, progress tracking, and generation of new differentiated mock questions, with potential for printable resources. They discuss using AI to tailor learning to pupils’ interests, varying tech access in primary schools, and tools like NotebookLM and Claude for turning long texts into podcasts and creating engaging resources. They address concerns about AI cheating, limits of AI detection, assessment changes, and suggest more in-person exams, oral work, and teaching responsible, gradual AI use. Gavin also outlines “Craicathon”, a Gaeilge-focused hackathon at Dogpatch Labs with projects like Irish sign language translation, Irish-friendly venue maps with phrases, and an Irish-event rating app, and shares views on AI driving more personalised education and the importance of grit, resilience, and open-mindedness.00:00 Welcome and Subscribe00:47 Meet Gavin Doyle01:51 Gavin’s Teaching and Tech Journey04:15 AI for Teachers Explained06:33 Cutting Admin and Corrections07:41 Examinaite for Leaving Cert Prep11:12 Primary Tech Reality Check12:04 Personalised Learning and New Questions16:13 AI Makes Coding Accessible18:28 Irish Language Tech Hackathon25:25 Creative Classroom AI Tools26:35 AI for Learning Styles27:09 NotebookLM Classroom Magic28:02 Claude Quizzes and Websites29:42 Cheating and Detection Limits32:25 AI Proof Assessment Ideas33:30 Teaching Responsible AI Use35:15 Internet to AI Parallels37:09 Personalisation and COVID Shift38:30 Alpha School Future Model42:23 Minister for Education Vision44:36 Future Skills Grit Resilience48:16 Wrap Up and Contact Info49:34 Host Closing Reflections


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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 school to be multidenominational. I admit I was wrong to assume parents would simply vote for the status quo, and I argue this figure is a remarkable tipping point, especially given how quickly some commentators tried to minimise it by claiming it represents only 16% overall. I question why only partial statistics were released, warn how narratives harden before full data emerges, and describe how “cultural Catholics”, church bodies and the state all benefit from a system driven as much by convenience and control as belief. If I were Minister, I’d publish all the data fast and remove patronage as the dividing line to build one inclusive system.


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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, nurture spaces, and Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS). I’m joined by Dr. Ross Greene, founder of Lives in the Balance and author of The Explosive Child, Lost at School, and The Kids Who Aren’t OK, and by Ruth Edie, principal in Dublin 18 and a certified CPS trainer. We discuss CPS’s focus on solving the unsolved problems behind concerning behaviour through proactive, collaborative Plan B conversations, including the ASEP process and practical “drilling” strategies. We also compare CPS with restorative practice, address concerns about time and “letting kids off,” and share resources (livesinthebalance.org/ireland). I dedicate the episode to my late deputy principal Emer and HSE psychologist Toby.
00:00 Welcome and Overview
00:39 Behavior Shifts in Schools
01:59 Discovering CPS
03:10 Dedication and Intro
03:48 Meet Ross and Ruth
05:18 Ross Green Background
06:26 Ruth Eadie Journey
10:05 What Is CPS
13:14 ASEP and Unsolved Problems
15:06 Plan B Conversation
19:47 Drilling Strategies
21:09 When CPS Starts
22:49 Handling I Don’t Know
24:33 Ireland Context Setup
25:17 Piloting CPS in Ireland
25:50 Tribute to Toby and Emer
27:12 Restorative Practice vs CPS
29:16 What CPS Adds for Teachers
30:18 Finding Time for CPS
32:48 Common Pushback and Myths
35:56 Where to Learn CPS
38:05 Minister for a Day
41:48 Final Resources and Farewell


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