I was surprised and delighted to be asked by the Irish Catholic to appear on their Education Nation podcast. Over the last few years, despite having very different views on education, I have noticed that genuine Catholics and minority groups have a lot in common when it comes to the education system. I have been listening to this podcast for a while and I hear the same message over and over again. While they may own the land and the school buildings, they have lost the inside of the buildings, i.e their mission.

While I believe their anger is often misplaced towards people like me and other minority groups who are often blamed for trying to “secularise” the education system, they are slowly beginning to acknowledge that the truth is from within. There are huge numbers of people that tick the Catholic box but don’t want to be part of a Catholic community, and in many ways reject it. Unfortunately, those in charge have been a victim of their own “propaganda” (for want of a better word) where they have underplayed their Mission so much that it has become irrecoverably dilluted. They have to wonder what it is they now stand for. We now see ourselves in the bizarre situation that practicing Catholics don’t feel welcome in their own schools.

Anyway, the reason for me being interviewed was the podcast was looking to speak to a diverse range of people, even those that don’t share their Mission. This was one of the first times, possibly the first time, a media outlet has acknowledged my unique position in the education system without any sense of disbelief, denial or anymosity. Although I don’t look like it, in the photo above I was quite nervous – was I going to be “crucified” in there for my views? I had no need for worry at all. In many ways it felt like the beginning of a conversation. Thank you to Nicky and the Irish Catholic for being brave enough to give me a respectful space.