Anseo.net - If I were the Minister for Education

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 students with mild general learning disabilities. This live podcast covers topics ranging from the special education system in Ireland, the challenges faced by special schools, and debunking common myths surrounding special education. Key points include the lack of specialised resources and funding, misconceptions about inclusion, and the need for more support for students and staff. Debbie and I also discuss the importance of creating an environment where every student feels included and valued, regardless of their educational setting. Timings: 00:00 Introduction and Welcome 01:45 Special Education Focus 02:17 Debunking Myths in Special Education 03:31 Debbie O’Neill’s Journey in Special Education 05:14 Challenges and Realities of Special Schools 11:45 Inclusion vs. Integration 17:02 Resource Allocation in Special Schools 29:32 Challenges in Special Schools 29:44 Resourcing Issues in Special Classes 30:25 In-School Therapy Program 32:45 Debunking Myths About Special Schools 33:29 Importance of Community in Special Schools 49:15 Special Schools and Extracurricular Activities 50:38 Final Thoughts and Future Plans This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit simonmlewis.substack.com/subscribe

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 primary educators and school leaders. We share practical examples, such as how a second class teacher can use Generative AI (GenAI) to create curriculum-aligned math activities, or how a fifth class teacher uses GenAI for visual support in Irish lessons. Learn strategies for integrating AI, including the essential 4P framework (Purpose, Planning, Policies, Practice). Remember to maintain human oversight and review all AI outputs for accuracy and bias. Resources like the DALI4US project support data literacy for primary teachers.😱Eek… what about a summary using Notebook LM?Woah! (Ignore the American spelling)Artificial Intelligence in Schools: A Strategic BriefingExecutive SummaryThis briefing synthesizes the core principles, practical applications, and strategic recommendations outlined in the “Guidance on Artificial Intelligence in Schools.” The guidance establishes a foundational framework for school leaders and teachers to navigate the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI), particularly Generative AI (GenAI), into the educational landscape. It posits that while AI offers significant potential to support teaching, learning, and school administration, its adoption must be responsible, planned, and informed to mitigate inherent risks related to safety, privacy, bias, and academic integrity.The central tenet of the guidance is the principle of human agency and oversight, asserting that AI should serve as a tool to complement and enhance, but never replace, the professional judgment of educators. A key strategic recommendation is the adoption of the 4P Approach (Purpose, Planning, Policies, Practice) as a practical framework for implementation. This approach advocates for aligning AI use with clear educational goals within a school’s digital learning plan, reviewing and updating existing school policies rather than creating new ones, and embedding critical, ethical practices into daily use. The document is designated as a “living document,” acknowledging the rapid evolution of AI and committing to ongoing review and updates based on emerging research, regulatory changes like the EU AI Act, and feedback from the school system.Core Principles for Ethical AI AdoptionThe guidance establishes a clear ethical framework for the use of AI in schools, grounded in seven key requirements for trustworthy AI. These principles are essential for ensuring that AI is deployed in a safe, fair, and effective manner.1. Human Agency and OversightThis is the cornerstone principle, emphasizing that AI systems must empower humans and operate under their control.* The “Human in the Loop”: Educators must act as the final checkpoint, systematically reviewing and validating all AI-generated outputs for accuracy, bias, and reliability.* Mitigating Risks: Human oversight is crucial for managing the risks of GenAI, which include:* Hallucinations: Outputs that seem plausible but are factually incorrect.* Bias: AI models can reflect and amplify biases present in their training data, potentially disadvantaging certain groups.* Disinformation: The capacity of GenAI to rapidly create and scale misinformation.* Decision-Making: AI should support, not replace, human judgment and decision-making, especially in high-stakes educational contexts.2. Privacy and Data GovernanceProtecting student and staff data is a critical compliance and ethical challenge.* Confidentiality: Content used in a request to a GenAI tool is generally not confidential by default and may be used to train the model. All data provided should be considered public unless otherwise stated.* Data Protection: The inputting of sensitive, proprietary, or personal data into AI systems should be avoided. All use must comply with GDPR.* Anonymization: If data is properly anonymized and cannot be re-linked to an individual, it may not be subject to GDPR principles.3. Technical Robustness and SafetyAI systems deployed in schools must be dependable, secure, and perform as expected.* EU AI Act: The EU AI Act (2024) is the world’s first comprehensive AI law. It classifies some uses of AI in education as “high risk,” including systems for evaluating learning outcomes, assessing educational levels, or determining access to education.* Safeguarding: AI introduces unique safeguarding challenges, such as the generation of harmful deepfakes (fake images or voices) and the potential for covert, widespread bullying.4. TransparencyBuilding trust in AI requires clear communication about how and when it is being used.* Shared Expectations: Schools should be transparent with students, parents, and the wider community about the use of GenAI to establish shared expectations.* Age Restrictions: Many GenAI tools have minimum age requirements (e.g., 13, 16, or 18) and require parental consent for users under 18. Schools must verify and adhere to these platform-specific terms.5. Diversity, Non-discrimination, and FairnessAI tools must be carefully vetted to detect and mitigate inherent biases to ensure equitable outcomes for all learners.* Due Diligence: It is vital for educators to review and validate AI-generated content to ensure it is accurate, appropriate, and does not perpetuate societal biases present in training data.* Inclusion: AI should be used to support inclusive practices and Universal Design for Learning (UDL), ensuring all learners are appropriately challenged.6. Societal and Environmental WellbeingThe broader impact of AI must be considered as part of its responsible adoption.* Environmental Impact: The AI lifecycle consumes significant natural resources, including energy and water, contributing to carbon emissions. Educators should consider if non-AI tools can achieve comparable objectives.* Student Wellbeing: While AI can positively impact engagement, consideration must be given to potential negative impacts on physical and mental health. The EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) and Better Internet for Kids (BIK+) strategy aim to create a safer online environment.7. AccountabilityClear policies and roles are fundamental to fostering accountability and responsible AI use.* Policy Foundation: Clear, accessible, and updated policies (such as the Acceptable Use Policy) help all stakeholders understand their roles and the consequences of misuse.Practical Applications of AI in the School EnvironmentThe guidance identifies numerous potential applications for AI across key domains of school activity, provided they are implemented within the ethical framework.DomainPotential Applications and ExamplesTeacher Planning & Preparation- Curriculum Design: Brainstorming ideas to embed literacy and numeracy into schemes of work.- Resource Generation: Creating activity ideas for physical resources or generating images to accompany a story.- Learning Design: Using AI analytics in quiz tools to identify gaps in student understanding and adjust lesson plans.- Differentiation: Scaffolding materials, such as creating model conversations at varying complexity levels for language classes.Teaching & Learning- Formative Assessment: Organizing student ideas from a brainstorming session into a mind map for group discussion.- Personalized Learning: Creating reading passages on a single topic at different complexity levels to suit individual needs.- Inclusion & UDL: Identifying differentiated activities and classroom supports for students on specific learning programs (e.g., L2LP).- Resource Creation: Generating vocabulary lists, text summaries, and quizzes aligned with the curriculum.School Leadership & Management- Strategic Planning: Summarizing documents to support school improvement planning or analyzing a resource inventory against the curriculum to identify gaps.- Policy Development: Assisting in the drafting and review of school policies by summarizing relevant guidelines and frameworks.- Data Analysis: Designing data collection tools like surveys to gather parent and student feedback to inform the school’s Digital Learning Plan.- Communication: Assisting in drafting newsletters, reports, and communications to stakeholders, including translation into home languages.A Strategic Roadmap for Implementation: The 4P ApproachOide Technology in Education (Oide TiE) proposes a practical 4P framework to guide schools in the effective integration of AI technologies.1. PurposeAI implementation should be driven by a clear educational purpose that directly supports teaching, learning, leadership, or management. This purpose must align with the school’s vision as articulated in its digital learning plan.2. PlanningThe use of AI must be integrated into the school’s mandatory Digital Learning Plan, which is a condition of the grant scheme for ICT infrastructure. Key planning questions for schools include:* How could AI improve teaching, learning, or leadership in our school?* What specific learner outcomes or experiences could be enhanced?* What are the potential risks, and how will they be managed and mitigated?* How will the ethical use of AI be approached and taught?* How will parents and the wider community be informed?3. PoliciesA separate, standalone AI policy is not required. Instead, schools should review and update existing policies to ensure they address the ethical, legal, and operational considerations of AI. Key policies for review include:* Privacy and Data Protection Policy: Must comply with data protection regulations.* Acceptable Use Policy (AUP): Should outline the ethical use of AI. The Webwise AUP generator has been updated to incorporate AI.* Code of Behaviour: Should be reviewed to ensure it reflects the ethical use of AI.* Bí Cineálta (Anti-Bullying) Policy: Should be updated to address the potential misuse of AI for bullying purposes.4. PracticeEducators should adopt a critical stance and reflect

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 one of the most knowledgeable people I know when it comes to this new subject and she is not afraid to hold back about her concerns as to how she thinks it could be more harm than good. I know I’m biased but I think you’ll be blown away by her thoughts on this less talked about new subject in the new curriculum. Rozz has also shared some links and resources, which you can find here:* The little guide to teachers of ethical education https://school-education.ec.europa.eu/bs/teach/teaching-materials/little-guide-teachers-ethical-education* Primary Religious Education-a new approach (Conceptual enquiry in Primary RE) by Clive Erricker( book)* Teaching Religious Education by Julian Stern (book)* Mastering Primary Religious Education by Maria James and Julian Stern (book)* Educate Together’s Summer EPV course on Conceptual Enquiry based approach in Ethical Education This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit simonmlewis.substack.com/subscribe

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 fight for pensions and parity, schools are left in vulnerable positions: keep schools open and potentially undermine the strike, or close them and face being the front page headline in the national media.From the long, neglected history of these roles, to the government’s last-minute panic, to INTO’s vague advice and the silence of management bodies, this strike exposes how fragile schools really are. And the truth is uncomfortable: by keeping things running, many may have already become SCABS. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit simonmlewis.substack.com/subscribe

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 distressed bird. The very next day, in the same place, he found a litter picker-upper. Patrick started litter picking. Every day. Join me as I chat to Patrick about Picker Pals, the environment and how you can get involved in Picker Pals for your school. It’s not only one of the best and easiest things you could do, it might be one of the most important. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit simonmlewis.substack.com/subscribe