Image: BBC News Six years ago today, I became an Irish citizen. I remember it as an uplifting and deeply emotional experience, especially in the aftermath of Brexit and as the British government's direction of travel contrasted ever more starkly with Ireland's reputation as a modern, confident and outward looking nation. I cherish my Irish passport and what it represents: the burgundy cover (much nicer than blue/black😀); the green, white and gold stitching; the affirmation t

When I took part in a recent panel discussion, I remarked that I seem to have spent half my time lately responding to consultations about retrenching and weaponising ESOL.

It's that time to send out the festive greeting/graphic and put on the out-of-office, but before I do here's a few hastily gathered thoughts and reflections on the year just gone.

Reflecting on running the Lanzarote Half Marathon (slowly!) 🌍🏃‍♂️ last weekend, amidst some thoughts about the state of Adult Education across these islands and the need to keep running up the down escalator.

Some personal thoughts on Scottish independence and Irish unity, made in the context of the Holywell Trust's Forward Thinking programme.

Some thoughts on the British government's Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper, and how adult learning is perceived within England.

Some thoughts about adult and community education across the island of Ireland

With results day looming, I've been reflecting on England's GCSE resits policy and why - despite its apparent 'success' - I've always been sceptical about whether it misses the point

I had an article published in FE News a few days ago, lambasting the British government for attempting to slice a further 2-3% off the Adult Skills Fund in England for 2025-26. I was commenting particularly on the impact for ESOL provision, and lamenting how English language acquisition is one of the aspects of adult education that has been hit hardest by a decade and a half of budget freezes and cuts. ESOL enrolments in England dropped by more than a third during the 2010s,

To be honest, I've always felt a bit conflicted about PIAAC - the OECD's 'Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies' , or survey of literacy, numeracy and critical problem solving capabilities amongst participating countries' adult populations. OECD Survey of Adult Skills 2023 On the one hand the idea of a large-scale 'once a decade' international snapshot of adult literacies seems attractive: let's shine a light on educational and social inequalities,

There's a nice, if slightly nervy/surreal, feeling about seeing your name in print. Not just online, in actual printed print. And in Ireland's only peer-reviewed journal dedicated entirely to adult and community education. In the midst of rushing to finish writing up my Masters thesis in the summer of 2023, I had a brief conversation with my supervisor about the potential to share my research findings with a wider audience. I'd been struck by the limited volume of ESOL-relat

Frankly, the last couple of months have been crazy. I've built up an extensive list of things to update and opine (rant...) about - which I will try to drip-feed when I get a chance over the festive break. In the meantime, a few highlights: My research project exploring ESOL in Ireland during the pandemic has an extensive airing in the latest edition of AONTAS's The Adult Learner Journal (see publications for a link to the journal and article). I attended the launch of a gr

I went back to Maynooth University last week, for the first time since graduating from my Masters almost a year ago. The occasion was the Department of Adult and Community Education 's autumn event, for which they'd persuaded the renowned educationalist Professor Stephen Brookfield to make a trip to Ireland from his adopted home in Minneapolis. The theme of the event was critical conversations , and talking points ranged from the ubiquity/suitability of exam-type assessment

A lot has happened in the last few months. I've become Co-Chair of NATECLA , joined the staff team at North West Migrants Forum (whilst its CEO is breaking new ground as the first Black Mayor in the north of Ireland); all whilst continuing to do bits of consultancy. Life's not as stable or as predictable as it was before I left City & Guilds, but it's mostly enjoyable and increasingly feels productive. Like many of us, I was caught out by Rishi Sunak's 'rain-dance' on 22 May