In this episode I reflect on the challenges faced by the primary education system in 2024 and offer ten reasons for possible optimism in 2025. Topics include improvements in special education, the potential of artificial intelligence in classrooms, the evolving role of patronage in schools, the impact of new educational technology, and the hope for a competent new Minister for Education. I also discuss the significance of the new primary maths curriculum, the extension of the primary language curriculum to include foreign languages, and the importance of embracing teacher diversity. I conclude with a call to return the focus of education to pedagogy rather than reducing schools to childminding services.

Timestamps

00:00 Welcome and Introduction

00:33 Reflecting on 2024 and Looking Ahead

01:48 Special Education: Challenges and Hopes

07:06 The Exciting Future of Technology in Education

13:04 The Patronage System in Schools

18:11 Hopes for a New Minister of Education

20:36 The Shift from Twitter to Instagram for Educators

25:03 Social Media Exodus: From Twitter to Instagram

26:13 New Primary Maths Curriculum: Hopeful Changes

28:48 School Meals Program: Pros and Cons

34:49 Primary Language Curriculum: Modern Foreign Languages

36:19 Teacher Diversity and the Baptism Barrier

43:10 Looking Forward to 2025: A Call to Action