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We teach our kids through our example in everything we do. For instance, we tell our kids not to spend hours scrolling mindlessly on devices and then we sit down and spend hours mindlessly scrolling on devices. Monkey see, monkey do. We need to lead by example and I believe the way we do formal education presents a major opportunity for improvement. I believe play, creativity, critical thinking and emotional development are critical to a rounded education. Children, particularly young children, should be encouraged to explore their own personalities and should love going to school to learn and the education system should focus on helping every individual student to thrive in society.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) will eventually replace many jobs humans do today. An education system that prepares kids to do jobs that a machine can do is not fit for purpose.
We need to broaden our thinking on education to allow children to discover the limits of their own potential. Critical thinking, creativity and emotional intelligence will be the key skills of the future and should be at the core of teaching today.
Children need to get outside and explore nature. The concept of Forest Schools and outdoor teaching is embedded in Scandanavian life and pilot projects exist here. We are surrounded by abundant wildlife and nature and an appreciation for nature and the environment will foster a more caring outlook regarding how we mind planet Earth. I believe we need to show our children that sitting down all day long to absorb information is not what life is about. We need a rethink.
I don’t have much Irish but I intend to learn it again. I believe the way it is taught in schools puts people off – they associate the language with a negative learning experience and “hate” it as a result. More emphasis needs to be put on the spoken word. I would go as far as to say books shouldn’t be used until late primary school years or into secondary school. Get kids speaking it every day. It is a vital part of our culture, our heritage and I believe we should do all we can to protect it, nurture it and restore it to a place of national pride.
We see all around us that people can struggle with mental health. The rapidly changing world brings ever-evolving challenges – we need to teach resilience and emotional intelligence and that starts with self-awareness. This is an important part of the school curriculum.
I have some concerns about the content of the Junior Cycle curriculum, particularly with respect to SPHE and CSPE and think these need to be revisited as I believe they put forward one-sided ideologies and do not encourage critical thinking. The people of Ireland have, for the most part, intentionally moved away from secular ideology in schools but it seems a new ideology is being discretely implemented as the new normal and this needs to be challenged.
There are currently 160+ children with autism round the country who have been told by the State that no special needs facilities exist for them in September 2024. This is a shocking indictment of a supposedly affluent country – especially given the prevalence of autism in Ireland today. Early intervention is considered a critical factor in facilitating the best outcomes for children with autism and it is vital that adequate Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) services and teacher training are provided across the country in line with the growing trend of autism. While more and more schools have dedicated ASD units, there is still a one-size-fits-all approach that doesn’t allow for different age brackets and severity of autism. Schools need to be better resourced to provide a more personalised solution.
The housing crisis has forced students in rural Galway to attend University in the city while living at home. This chronic accommodation problem in university cities like Galway highlight the fact that bus services to rural Irish towns are not fit for purpose. Funding for more frequent bus services is urgently required to ensure students don’t miss out on the education and experience of attending university.
