In this episode, I wonder about the quantum of SET agendas and why the IPPN has decided to go against its members. I discuss why the media have reduced a completely changed curriculum down to sex. Finally I deny that I've been looking through your bins. Links to articles discussed can be found on anseo.net

MacBook Pro Microphone & FaceTime HD Camera-3:

Hello?

2

Hello.

3

You're very welcome to if I were

the minister for education, a

4

regular podcast, where I look into

the world of primary education

5

and let you know what I would do.

6

If I were the minister for education.

7

MacBook Pro Microphone & FaceTime HD Camera-5:

This is Simon Lewis on this week's show.

8

I'll be continuing to explore

the fiasco that isn't going away,

9

which has set allocations as the

IPPN turn on its own members.

10

MacBook Pro Microphone & FaceTime HD Camera-7:

And speaking of things that won't go

11

away, I'll be exploring the new primary

curriculum where it has reentered the

12

new stories for, I don't know how many

times and I'll be talking about how

13

teachers will now be expected to teach

languages they don't speak themselves.

14

If you're interested in subscribing

to this podcast, or if you're

15

watching it on YouTube, you can

subscribe by going to your favorite

16

podcasting platform to subscribe.

17

Or you can go into YouTube and you can

clip and lightened, subscribe, whatever.

18

People do, is it smash that like button?

19

I don't know what young people say.

20

I say that every week, anyway,

let's get on with things.

21

And as you'll see on the screen, if you're

watching on on YouTube it you'll see the

22

title and screenshot is an attempt to

explain special education in Ireland.

23

And if I can achieve that.

24

It will be doing very well because if

you've been following the set allocation

25

model story over the last number of

weeks, You'll probably understand how

26

difficult it is to understand and it

was only when I spoke to a journalist

27

at that, I realized that there's a lot

that we take for granted in schools.

28

I said, I, in my first sentence, in

this article, I wrote on my medium

29

blog that Simon M lewis.medium.com.

30

You can.

31

I started off by saying if you're a

primary school teacher, These acronyms

32

probably make complete sense to you.

33

S C N O S C T S P S E S C S P H G.

34

And so on all of these

acronyms, beginning with S.

35

And they probably make a lot of

sense, but they probably don't make

36

a lot of sense to anyone outside

of the primary education system.

37

And when I was speaking to a

journalist about the initial as S.

38

Initially talking to them

about special education.

39

It was amazing how.

40

I confusing things.

41

God, because he didn't really understand

what the difference between a special

42

class teacher is a special education

teacher is and what a special needs

43

assistant is and why there are no

teaching assistants in our, and even

44

though he's heard about teaching

assistants, which funnily enough,

45

there's a college course in Ireland.

46

If you wanted to look it up hoping to

train you as a teaching assistant, despite

47

there not being a teaching assistant job

in Ireland in primary schools, at least.

48

And it got me thinking about this whole

debacle about the sat allocations model.

49

And there's been so many news stories

over the last couple of weeks around

50

set allegations, basically, just in

case you are living under a rock, if

51

you're a primary school teacher, or if

you just haven't heard about the story.

52

About a month ago.

53

At the department of education

released their allocations to schools

54

for special education teachers.

55

And There was opera

because they essentially.

56

I suppose in a nutshell, they have

basically decided that all teachers are

57

going to be decided special education

teacher is going to be decided on

58

three criteria, three criteria.

59

Only one of them is okay, it's on whether

this goes in a disadvantaged area or

60

not, but the other two, and the major

criteria that 94% of the criteria is

61

going on your enrollment, which makes a

bit of sense, but also based on literacy

62

and numeracy scores that children would

have received over the last three years.

63

Now for anyone who's involved in

education, you will know that standard

64

standardized tests in literacy and

numeracy are not something that we

65

take very seriously as a profession.

66

We have to do them, but we

understand their limitations.

67

In fact, we understand them so

much that we take very little

68

heat of the results that we get

69

often don't correlate with how

well the children are doing.

70

They are a snapshot

essentially on one day.

71

But the big talking point really

was one of the criteria that was

72

removed from sat allocations.

73

And for 2024 was the complex needs

variable, which counted for about 50%

74

of allocations given up until last

year And the removal of that meant

75

that children with complex needs.

76

Are not necessarily going

to be allocated resources.

77

And it's a huge bone of contention

so much so that inclusion

78

Ireland down syndrome Ireland.

79

And as I am got to gather to.

80

Make a joint.

81

Statement or a joint campaign.

82

After them to be returned.

83

And, principals around the countries,

teachers around the country were going

84

absolutely not about this as well, because

effectively what happens is that children

85

with complex needs may not necessarily

gash low standardized test scores.

86

It actually, in some ways it's quite

insulting to children with complex needs.

87

They're basically saying we couldn't

get the data on complex needs.

88

So we just use your literacy numeracy

scores because you're probably going

89

to get low test results anyway,

because you have complex needs.

90

It's frankly, baffling, really?

91

That this would be the case.

92

And obviously the advocacy groups

are saying that it is baffling

93

as well, that they would do this.

94

And we were waiting for, education

groups to come along and say,

95

yeah, this is ridiculous.

96

It's bad.

97

It's not working.

98

And they didn't.

99

So the national principal's forum, if you

I'm involved with, as a questionnaire or

100

a survey to principals and sure enough.

101

Principals were aggrieved by

this and I'm not happy about it.

102

So we decided to to do a petition joining

the other campaigners that were out there.

103

And.

104

700, roughly 700 principals or school.

105

Basically signs petition and it

was sent to anyone and everyone.

106

And it's been bizarre the outcome of this.

107

Because not only not only the

department of education dispute the

108

accuracy of the principles, they

actually went through every single

109

line, every single school and.

110

It's so desperate and patchy.

111

And pathetic.

112

That they went through every

single line rather than actually

113

sorting out the problem.

114

They decided to try and

undermine this petition.

115

I wonder, I always wonder because

the other three advocacy groups

116

had exactly the same thing.

117

They had 1300 signatories, and I

wonder if they would go through all

118

those 1300 signatories and basically

say, oh it's, up two of those,

119

two or three of those signatures

came from the same house and all.

120

Yeah.

121

And these, I buy five of them, came from

a different school from the same school.

122

So clear, like the way the

department of education.

123

Are measuring these set allocations is

they have this odd thing where they think

124

the only reason a school would be annoyed

about the sat allocations was because

125

they themselves would be losing hours.

126

Not because the system

is based on junk data.

127

And I think this is what the problem is.

128

The basically sat allocations when

129

based on five different criteria and

the five Griffin criteria, where were.

130

Basically set what your what they,

what your allocations would be.

131

And since then, they've been.

132

Manipulator, changed slightly

depending on who you are and

133

developing skills were badly treated.

134

And we have to data on that.

135

But schools that we're losing

in Romans, In order to avoid

136

a political kind of fallout.

137

They kept ours.

138

And essentially what we

ended up with just junk data.

139

And by 2024, what we have

is we're using junk data.

140

And then adding further junk data

and ultimately the allocations are

141

meaningless and they don't actually meet.

142

They don't actually provide

schools with what they need.

143

And we thought.

144

Oh, fair enough.

145

The department of education.

146

Are going to try and put this, run this

under the carpet or whatever people

147

do, but then in a weird, in the most

baffling I've never seen this before.

148

The principals.

149

I feel APPM, which is

the principals network.

150

Have actually turned on their

own members in a statement, they

151

made a joint statement to joint

communication with the NAPD.

152

And I've no idea why they're involved.

153

They're a secondary school

organization and this has nothing

154

to do with secondaries and the NPC

they've turned on their parents.

155

They're the national parents council.

156

They basically.

157

I have called the calls from advocacy

groups and a national trend forum.

158

That it's misinformation

or miscommunication or

159

misconceptions or the kind of blue.

160

Bluff words that are

used by organizations.

161

It's astonishing.

162

And you wouldn't mind.

163

If they're joint communication or

they're basically essentially saying

164

that you're all wrong was based on any

communication with their own members.

165

But they didn't consult with

any of their members DM.

166

Advocacy groups.

167

I consulted with their members.

168

They got.

169

It's 1300 signatures to a petition to

asking people, asking for this set of

170

locations to be paused under national

principal's forum asked all schools

171

about their opinions and got all the data

and then asked for a petition, the IPP.

172

And didn't ask anyone.

173

And to be honest with you, We don't know.

174

Where this is coming from,

this is a very odd situation.

175

And it really.

176

I think has baffled.

177

And many people involved in education and.

178

I think.

179

Everybody suspects.

180

The IBP and our January.

181

A good organization there.

182

They're lovely people in there.

183

I know them.

184

Some of them are my friends.

185

And then they come out with

this and nobody knows why.

186

And it's interesting.

187

They came out with it, but

didn't refer to it again.

188

They didn't they didn't tweet it.

189

They usually will tweet

their joint communications.

190

They didn't tweezers.

191

They also didn't add it to their weekly

newsletter to the center to newspapers.

192

I it's just a very odd and baffling

kind of communication and that

193

nobody quite understands why

the suspicion really is dash.

194

They were, they are reliant on funding

from the department of education.

195

So maybe they were told that they

needed to refuse and the calls look

196

who knows it's a really odd situation.

197

And one I'm sure we'll be returning to

at some point, because I don't think this

198

story is going to go away and I'm really

not quite sure what is going on there.

199

But I just wanted to talk to you a

little bit more about an article I

200

wrote on us because it's basically,

trying to defend the sat allocations.

201

Could we all be wrong?

202

That's what it's called.

203

And it goes through.

204

Essentially what's been going

on with the IPN and the NAPD.

205

And why do I think.

206

They why do I think

they did what they did?

207

And why are they trying to bury the

story about the department of education's

208

decision to provide, use junk data?

209

Remove complex needs.

210

As a variable.

211

In order to give sat allocations and why

they would defend and advise schools.

212

Th the other thing I

suppose I should mention is.

213

Lots and lots of people have

written to the IPN to protest there.

214

Or to complain about the way they've

David they've handled the situation

215

and they have a template email,

which they're sending out to people

216

which advises them to go through.

217

The appeals mechanism.

218

At despite, and the fact that the

appeals mechanism is horrendous as well.

219

And it just surprises me.

220

That an organization I've had.

221

I have a lot of time for, and I've

had a lot of time for in fact, I

222

was on their board for a short time.

223

Has reduced themselves.

224

To effectively being spokespeople

for the department of education.

225

I don't know.

226

I did.

227

I suppose I did a little graph

of how many people at basically.

228

Contacted.

229

Gave their feedback to the national

principal's forum versus those

230

who gave feedback to the IPN.

231

And you will see the graph there.

232

Which is, maybe just a bit of a

joke, but I'm quite serious too.

233

Yeah, I link in this article that she

should find again on the medium blog.

234

I've linked to full statement there,

which you might have a look at.

235

But they have said an outrageous

sort of statement to me and they

236

said it's important to be clear that

children with complex needs have not

237

been excluded from the allocation

of hours that schools are received.

238

They have, and I put this

239

The sat allocations were calculated

under five criteria and I list those

240

and then three criteria now, which is.

241

And the two criteria that have

are missing from those five.

242

Our gender and complex needs data.

243

The department education even admitted

themselves that they dropped complex

244

needs as a criteria because they

couldn't get the data from anywhere.

245

And they decided they would increase the

weighting of literacy and numeracy scores.

246

Now.

247

I'm spending a bit of time here

because I can't understand.

248

W.

249

Y the IPN have done what they've done.

250

Is it that they're really out of

touch that they don't understand

251

children with complex needs can and

often do score highly interested in

252

numeracy tests because I could get it.

253

I can get if they are.

254

Out of touch the classroom has

changed so much in the last decade.

255

And most of the principals in the

offices or at most of the people in

256

the office working for IPP and are

retired Principles or haven't been in

257

the, in a school for quite some time.

258

I, I get that I haven't been, I

haven't been teaching directly

259

for the for about 10 years now.

260

And I know that when I go into

classrooms to take lessons, The costume

261

is definitely a different, it's a

different place than it used to be.

262

Even in the short space

of time that I was there.

263

I often say like that when I was

teaching last time I taught, I

264

probably made two phone calls a year to

parents about issues in the classroom.

265

I know the parent or the teachers are

making two phone calls a day, in terms

266

of things that go on in classrooms.

267

So maybe there.

268

To be there.

269

There's so long outside of the classroom.

270

That they aren't, they actually don't

understand what's going on in classrooms.

271

I don't know.

272

But I suppose what really, I.

273

Generally, generally the people,

I think young people get in

274

there with triggering language.

275

But if you want to trigger me.

276

There's plenty of ways you can do so

you can tell your, you can call your

277

school inclusive or very inclusive,

or you can, when you talk about

278

special education needs, you can

say pupils with the greatest levels

279

of need should now have access to

the greatest level of support in.

280

This really annoys me and it annoys.

281

Actually a noise, anyone working in

a school because you'll hear that.

282

Statements used by people in the

NCSC, people in naps, people,

283

in the department of education.

284

And now our own representative body

are using this really awful line.

285

The pupils have the greatest level

of need should have access to

286

the greatest avenues of support.

287

If you want to translate that sentence

into English out, if you want to

288

translate it away from spin into

English, into normal English language.

289

That sentence means that children

with needs, what you're saying here

290

is that schools will choose what

children do not get access to support.

291

So all your children with.

292

That have support needs will not receive.

293

Support only the ones with

the greatest level of needs.

294

So in other words, children, with

the least level of needs will get.

295

Despite having needs will

not have any support.

296

That's all it's saying, essentially when

people say that to me, I always ask them.

297

So you're asking me to choose

which children who have needs

298

don't get support and they laugh.

299

Because they don't care.

300

And isn't it awful to see

your representative body

301

using that sort of language?

302

It's awful.

303

It's really awful.

304

And.

305

They go on to explain.

306

To us.

307

Why we're wrong?

308

And using baffling language.

309

And there's a little word in here.

310

I love.

311

And I have to tell you about it.

312

I read it given that the revised

allocation model is now underpinned by

313

more accurate data provided by schools.

314

It is hoped that a quantum of hours

allocation to schools will better

315

enable children with additional

and complex need to achieve and

316

thrive in their mainstream settings.

317

Quantum of what.

318

Quantum, it's such a baffling word.

319

Why would they what person.

320

What person uses the word

quantum in everyday language.

321

Nobody has the answer to that question,

but they've used three times in their.

322

A sentence.

323

So I decided I'd check out

what's what does quantum mean?

324

So I looked up.

325

A few dictionaries and I find my favorite

one, which is a it's the smallest amount.

326

It's basically, it's a science

word it's used in physics really,

327

and chemistry and stuff like that.

328

It's these insights not used in allocating

resources to children in schools, but

329

it's actually the smallest amount.

330

Or units of something, especially in GI.

331

I like to condense that to

the smallest amount of energy.

332

And that could equally define

the level of representation.

333

That the IPN are giving to

their members in this case.

334

But I just want to back up a little bit,

because I thought that where quantum is

335

very distracting and maybe deliberately.

336

What I wanted to look at here was this

thing about the revised allocation is

337

being underpinned by more accurate data.

338

So what is this accurate data?

339

And they both use this, the IPN

and the department of education

340

aping, the same language.

341

Accurate data, the accurate data.

342

And I'll tell you what they are.

343

It's enrollment figures

and standardized scores.

344

That's it.

345

There is no other data being used.

346

And those two pieces of data do not

provide accurate needs for a school.

347

And.

348

They just.

349

It's just annoying, really to hear

your representative body behaving.

350

Like this, and I don't really

understand, and it's not just me.

351

It's not just the national principals

or it's not just the advocacy groups.

352

It's not just us.

353

There's plenty of people and

I'm just going to go through.

354

I just pasted three tweets

or tweet Twitter threads or X

355

threads from other principals

or people involved in education.

356

And it's.

357

It just goes to show, these,

this is just people who are

358

online and unable to comment.

359

I've spoken to several principals

who who just are shocked.

360

People are just baffled.

361

And nobody can quite understand this.

362

Essentially.

363

What can we do?

364

I just don't know what we can do about it.

365

And I suppose the irony and I conclude,

and I will conclude with this taught,

366

is that on the same on the day after.

367

Dash DIPP and released

the statement basically.

368

Throwing their members under the bus.

369

They also shared this a really good

article from their vice CEO their.

370

Their deputy CEO.

371

Which has been published in the

education yearbook, a fantastic

372

journal titled the health and

wellbeing of Irish school leaders.

373

And this article essentially shows the

burnout, stress, sleeping, troubles,

374

depressive symptoms, somatic stress,

and cognitive stress have all increased

375

in principles since 2015, all the way

376

state that it's getting worse and worse.

377

And in fact, we know that

principals of primary schools.

378

As our suffering.

379

Are suffering.

380

Certain forms of stress and burnish.

381

Twice the normal rate of most other jobs.

382

And isn't it ironic that when 700 or

more of their members make a public cry

383

for help, the response was to tell them.

384

That we were wrong.

385

Let's move on.

386

It's the new primary, correct?

387

Lamont.

388

Geno wash when you've got a new

primary curriculum, which teaches

389

all the new subjects of all

let's reduce to a headline sax.

390

Yeah.

391

It's all about sex education to

be taught at an earlier age now.

392

Under new primary curriculum that's

from the Irish times and today, a

393

fam also headlined with sex, sex

sells on sex education in Ireland.

394

And.

395

And of the maddening thing I suppose,

is that really that's the headline.

396

And it's quite frustrating because sex.

397

The actual truth of that story

is the puberty will be taught

398

in third and fourth class rather

than in fifth and sixth class.

399

And do you know why?

400

Because children in third and fourth cost

experience puberty, probably good idea

401

for them to know what's going on there.

402

That's the only change.

403

And that's the headline.

404

There is much, much

bigger and bigger stories.

405

Really, and they were

actually well-developed.

406

And well-spoken about by Carla

Brian the next day when he discussed

407

what was actually changing.

408

And it's a really good article.

409

I'd recommend you look at it.

410

It'll be in the show notes.

411

And we'll be talking about

learning a new foreign languages.

412

Stem will be a subject in the curriculum.

413

And also a lot more on wellbeing.

414

It's a lot to squeeze he

says under absolutely.

415

That's true.

416

So he decides that it's funny, so

much more to squeeze, so we will

417

be reducing religious instruction.

418

It's about a half an hour, a week, so

we can fit in all this extra stuff.

419

And I'm not going to go on about religion

and the role of religion in schools.

420

If there's actually a really

good Latter from David Graham.

421

And the Irish times, which I,

which is in our, in my Fiddy link.

422

Where he talks about at what

the impact of that will be.

423

I eat none.

424

And in fact, I would argue that

it's cements the road of faith

425

formation and religious segregation.

426

In skills for another generation.

427

But as I said, I don't really

want to go on too much about us.

428

As I said there.

429

Carla Brian talks about

the different flashpoints.

430

He talks about sex education thing.

431

And in fairness to him, he

does clarify that it really.

432

Is just puberty.

433

The folks in foreign languages.

434

It a weird one.

435

This one, I think foreign

languages are going to be taught.

436

By class teachers, whether or not

they speak a foreign language,

437

which is an interesting one.

438

I'm going to be brushing up on my stuff.

439

And my Lithuanian.

440

And probably is going to try and

learn some Portuguese as well.

441

I don't know.

442

Look I'm really unsure about

how this is going to work.

443

I've been asking people

online about this in Scotland.

444

Apparently this is.

445

Fine apparel.

446

I spoke to a teacher in Scotland.

447

Who's been teaching Italian for the last

few years, despite not speaking Italian.

448

And you said to works out.

449

So look, I'm going to.

450

Despite being a bit cynical about it.

451

I am going to obviously find out a

little bit more because I don't actually

452

know how to teach a foreign language if

you don't speak that foreign language.

453

I guess if it's happening in

Scotland, it must be possible.

454

I, and it may be happening

in other countries as well.

455

I don't know.

456

So look, that's one change.

457

The other changes that are happening

to the curriculum, which aren't being

458

widely reported particularly in this

article or others is technology is

459

a new subject in the curriculum.

460

And I have argued for years that I would

not like to see technology as a subject.

461

I like it as a methodology, but it is

going to be part of the stem as a subject.

462

Not a lot known about it yet.

463

So maybe that's why and there will be

consultations on us where we don't know

464

whether we are going to be teaching

children, computational thinking, which

465

might be better than teaching them coding.

466

They're not the same thing.

467

But I do know that the, the little,

a small news story that happened.

468

Was it as good as they're all going

to be giving coding kits by something

469

called tech tips or is it ICD tips?

470

Sorry.

471

A project in Trinity college.

472

So I don't know.

473

If it's anything to give us a heads

up about, if we're going to be

474

teaching coding to children, That's

yet another foreign language I'd

475

suggest that will be expected to teach,

having no knowledge of the subject.

476

Or have the language ourselves.

477

Other things coming

into the new curriculum.

478

I suppose we, it says we've only seven

subjects, but in reality, we're adding

479

lots of new subjects into the curriculum.

480

As I said, the wellbeing

thing, which has been.

481

Which has been reduced down to sex

education, there's a lot more going on in

482

the wellbeing thing and it's actually a

good, I'm, people would probably accuse

483

me of being negative all the time.

484

But actually I think the I don't

like the word wellbeing and.

485

But for the purposes of the of calling.

486

Subject something I'll take wellbeing.

487

I can't think of a better word.

488

So I suppose I'll dive into that,

but there's some really good stuff.

489

We're allowing, I suppose what

wellbeing had basically is S P H G,

490

and that was given half an hour a

week and we were expected to cover.

491

Everything from internet

safety to sex education.

492

To substance and abuse prevention.

493

To staying safe to, anything and

everything that was to do with to

494

do basically stuff that parents

used to do with their children.

495

We are now covering in schools.

496

That's probably a cynical thing

to say because I'm not fair.

497

I'm sorry for saying that.

498

I think a lot of the stuff that,

probably could be covered in many

499

That has been covered in many houses,

maybe not being covered in houses.

500

I think we do have to do in schools.

501

So having a lot more time to do that.

502

Is a good thing.

503

There's talk of PE being increased the

time for physical education and increased.

504

I do, I think it's a missed

opportunity, this new curriculum.

505

I've called it a tweak

rather than a revolution.

506

And I don't know if people agree with

me on that, but I think there could have

507

been much there could have been much

braver ways of doing this curriculum.

508

I said, I promise I wouldn't

talk about the religion.

509

That was one example where that could

have been very brave, but it isn't.

510

And it's disappointing.

511

To see.

512

That they're just merely allowing

another generation carry on with faith

513

formation, albeit for half an hour, less

per week or six minutes per day less.

514

It's disappointment, but look, I

suppose the primary curriculum will

515

be discussed for the next few years.

516

As consultations are

ongoing it's curious to me.

517

Despite all the consultations over

the last number of years, dosh.

518

Very little has changed

since they've announced it.

519

It's a shame.

520

I think if people really listened to

the consultations that were going on,

521

we'd have a very different curriculum

coming on than the one that was

522

announced at three or four years ago.

523

It seems very similar, but

look, I'll be, I'm sure I'll

524

be returning to that very soon.

525

You're probably wondering

why I sat at the start.

526

I wasn't looking through bins.

527

If you are on the podcast, you're

not going to have the benefit

528

this but if you're looking on the,

on YouTube, please come along to

529

YouTube to have a look at this.

530

I'm going to show you a picture.

531

Of a principal.

532

Should I try and look like them.

533

He's like a younger version of me.

534

With much cooler glasses actually.

535

This is a principle in Doncaster.

536

In England.

537

He's actually a secondary school as well.

538

So it definitely is me.

539

I'm a primary school to our principal,

but a secondary school is monitoring

540

families, bins, cars on post to crack

down on authorized people's absences.

541

This is an amazing story from the UK.

542

Austria academy, Woodfield and

Doncaster in south Yorkshire.

543

Don Costa is a town outside.

544

Sheffield's my beloved Sheffield.

545

And it's checking driveways, boiler flus.

546

To see if families are actually

home or away on holiday and

547

the principal David scales.

548

Is saying they're being conducted at a

safe to concerns for apps and children.

549

I'm just finding this amazing

what an amazing story.

550

And I hope we're not going down

this Rouge over here and aren't in

551

fact, Probably doing the opposite.

552

We're not taking much care at all.

553

I think we're on the other

side of the spectrum.

554

The UK are obsessed with

student absenteeism.

555

And it's up to the point of finding

parents if they don't send their children

556

to school in Ireland, whereas where.

557

I think if you might remember from the

last episode I was told I was on a.

558

Was it DriveTime?

559

I think it was on DriveTime

where Sarah McInerney.

560

I and Cormack.

561

Oh, I can't remember his surname.

562

Sorry, Cormack.

563

We're having a gentle

kind of teasing of me.

564

Could I parents taking their

children out in the holidays

565

and should go on it's all right.

566

Isn't it.

567

Yeah, we're very much the

opposite end of the spectrum.

568

I hope we never end up in a situation.

569

We are searching through the bins

and looking at gas at boilers to make

570

sure children are coming to school.

571

On a serious note though, with.

572

While we don't want to go down to stick.

573

Of the UK, when it comes to

absenteeism, we do have a chronic

574

problem with children's absenteeism.

575

And the reason for that, is that we have

such a shortage of educational welfare

576

officers, and we really need to get that

back in action so that if children are

577

missing school for unnecessary reasons,

we do need to be talking not because

578

the impact of not coming to school.

579

Obviously is a, is very, is great.

580

And we do not want to go through a laissez

Faire approach to knock coming to school.

581

We are not a babysitting service.

582

I feel a lot of the time I'm asked

to go on the radio is when there's

583

education stories about babysitting

rather than about education.

584

And I do think we need to take

education a little bit more seriously.

585

Now there's my lecture for you.

586

Anyway, that is really all I

have to talk about this week.

587

We've hit the 30 minute mark and I've

loved the notes of other stories that have

588

I hit the news out on my feely channel.

589

You can have a look at that, but go over

to onshore dot Nash where you'll see

590

this and lots more articles and mainly

around sat allocations at this time round.

591

But there's also a few bits on technology.

592

I've I have a little Siri,

a little article there on

593

how to make a comic strip.

594

Using Canva really great tool.

595

And I've also a few other app.

596

Our skulls.

597

That might be of use to you.

598

So that's it for me from this week.

599

Thanks so much for watching or listening

at depending where I at what you're doing.

600

And as I said, please feel free to

subscribe if you enjoy this and please.

601

Share at this podcast with with

your friends and colleagues as.

602

And encourage them to subscribe

by going to onshore.net/subscribe.

603

And I know for me, thanks so

much for listening or watching

604

all the very best bye-bye.