It’s #NATECLA Conference, so here at #ConferenceAston in Birmingham ready to welcome everyone! 🤗💚💛 #NATECLA26 #ESOL #LoveESOL
Paul Sceeny
@paulsceeny.bsky.social
Educationalist, especially adult #ESOL and #literacies. Former wee English fella, naturalised Derry wan. Co-Chair: #NATECLA Recent Interim: @nwmf.bsky.social Independent consultant: paulsceeny.com he/him
Maidin mhaith, Brighton! 🌞 Looking forward to Associates’ Day at #IATEFL2026. If you’re around, do say 👋! @iatefl.bsky.social #NATECLA 💚💛 #ELT #ESOL #Networking #PracticeSharing #ELTFreelancers
Hard to believe it's six years since my 🇮🇪 citizenship ceremony in Killarney. Sadly, the British government has today offered up more performative cruelty and punching down - this time targeting people who’ve been granted sanctuary. So I wrote this #NewBlogPost www.paulsceeny.com/post/perform...
Performative cruelty: punching down on sanctuary and belonging
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...
paulsceeny.com
Drawing together the bin fire that is Greater Lincolnshire’s defunding of #ESOL with a few wider reflections on the weaponisation of #LanguageEducation by the British government and others. #NewBlogPost #AdultEducation #LanguageIsPolitical #LoveESOL💚💛 www.paulsceeny.com/post/the-wea...
The weaponisation of English language education: defunding and gatekeeping
When I took part in a recent panel discussion, I remarked that I seem to have spent half my life lately responding to consultations about retrenching and weaponising ESOL.
paulsceeny.com
Would that be the same Jim Ratcliffe who’s busy ‘colonising’ Monaco when he’s not spouting ballix like this?
Sky News@news.sky.com · 7mo ago'The UK has been colonised by immigrants', says INEOS boss and Man Utd co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe
Tomorrow's Headlines The Telegraph: Starmer Next! The Guardian: Morgan McSweeney's Gone, Thank God! The Irish Times: Irishman forced out of UK Labour Role The Irish (Cork) Examiner: Having Completed Michael Collins' Work, and brought low the British Government, Macroom Calls it's Son Home
I share this video at each opportunity for a number of reasons, primary among them: 1.It reminds us of the deep emotion connected to British colonial violence in our country 2.The human dignity exhibited by Mark Durkan MP overwhelming 3.The names of our fellow citizens, slain youtu.be/MKVGO2eZKvE
"We Have Overcome" - Mark Durkan's speech on the publication of the Saville report
YouTube video by Social Democratic and Labour Party
youtu.be
The Boss is singing about ICE on the Streets of Minneapolis. You won't hear this played at the Kennedy Center or on Fox News. www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWKS...
Bruce Springsteen - Streets Of Minneapolis (Official Audio)
YouTube video by Bruce Springsteen
youtube.com
Important to stand firm against this pernicious attempt to frame #ESOL vs #AdultLiteracy as a zero-sum game, and to play one group of #AdultLearners off against the other. Glad to have sent this letter on behalf of #NATECLA💚💛 to the Mayor of #GreaterLincolnshire www.natecla.org.uk/news/natecla...
NATECLA calls out Greater Lincolnshire plan to defund ESOL — NATECLA
Proposals by the Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority (GLCCA) to defund all of its adult ESOL provision would be disastrous for ESOL learners and providers in the county, as well as deeply d...
natecla.org.uk
Plot thickens… 😮 Tl;dr they’re both toast (with only their bonuses to keep the wolves from the door!).
FE Week@feweek.bsky.social · 8mo ago🚨City & Guilds chief executive Kirstie Donnelly and chief finance officer Abid Ismail will be 'absent' from their roles 'for a short time' feweek.co.uk/top-two-city...
Appalling and unforgivable as it was that WM Police cited a fictional event as *part* of its case, let’s not fall into the trap of thinking Maccabi fans should have been allowed to go rampaging around Birmingham. There’s more than enough real evidence as to why the ban was justified.
Zoe Gardner@zoejardiniere.bsky.social · 8mo agoAs always, 2 things can be true at once: 1. Any police force using AI to generate reports & evidence for their decisions should be disciplined & heads should roll 2. The ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans was likely justified due to real risk of racist, violent hooliganism #r4today
Doubting survivors and tightening evidence does not strengthen protections for people trapped in modern slavery. It weakens them. Data shows many refusals are overturned on review. Our laws should amplify justice not silence the vulnerable. www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2026...
UK immigration law has helped modern slavery thrive, says damning…
New findings point to a ‘growing culture of disbelief’ within government towards victims of trafficking
thebureauinvestigates.com
I've signed this petition calling for the government to shut down X for producing sexual abuse images. Will you do the same? my.uplift.ie/petitions/sh... @uplift.ie
I've signed this petition calling for the government to shut down X for producing & sharing sexual abuse images. Will you do the same?
I've signed this petition calling for the government to stop X allowing their chatbot Grok to ‘digitally undress’ women and share sexualised and illegal photos of children. Will you sign too?
my.uplift.ie
I've signed this petition calling for the government to act against X for producing sexual abuse images. Will you do the same? my.uplift.ie/petitions/sh... @uplift.ie
I've signed this petition calling for the government to shut down X for producing & sharing sexual abuse images. Will you do the same?
I've signed this petition calling for the government to stop X allowing their chatbot Grok to ‘digitally undress’ women and share sexualised and illegal photos of children. Will you sign too?
my.uplift.ie
“It’s raining” “No it’s not” Try looking out the window… 😔
In 2025, 41,472 people had to arrive by small boat to the UK. Zero small boats came to NI. That's 64 people per parliamentary constituency across the UK per year. In NI, 32,000 people died on hospital waiting lists in 3 years, that's 10,666 per year or 562 per parliamentary constituency. [1/2]
‘Disgusting slogan of hate’ removed from wall in Co Londonderry town
A message removed from a wall in Co Londonderry was a “disgusting slogan of hate”, a local councillor has said.
belfasttelegraph.co.uk
Anti-Palestinian racism silences, excludes, erases, stereotypes, dehumanizes, or defames Palestinians, those who are perceived as Palestinian, or anyone who expresses support for Palestinian freedom. • Visualizing Palestine
Grifters gonna grift with their “tHeY’rE cAnCeLlInG cHrIsTmAs” shite.🥱💩
It's that time to send out the festive greeting/graphic and put on the out-of-office, but as I do here's a few hastily gathered thoughts and reflections on the year just gone: www.paulsceeny.com/post/end-of-... #NewBlogPost #FestivePost ##ESOL #AdultLiteracies #AdultEducation #AntiRacism
End of year reflections 🎉🎄😀
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.
wix.to
Israeli artillery has been shelling areas east of Gaza City for the past two hours.
We support @learnworkuk.bsky.social's #GetTheNationLearning campaign, sponsoring the Excellence in Teaching Award won by Nerissa Roberts, Curriculum Lead for Adult ESOL at @oldhamcollege.bsky.social. ETF CEO Dr Katerina Kolyva spoke at the awards, highlighting our commitment to adult learning.
Reflecting on running the Lanzarote Half Marathon (slowly!) 🌍🏃♂️ last weekend, amidst some thoughts about the state of #AdultEducation across these islands and need to keep running up the down escalator. #NewBlogPost #EmancipatoryEducation #ESOL #AdultLiteracies www.paulsceeny.com/post/running...
Running, just to keep up...
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 es...
paulsceeny.com
At least @rte.ie has enough moral fibre to stand firm on this. Shame on @ebu.ch. #GenocideWashing and #ApartheidWashing ain’t entertainment. I certainly won’t be watching. #BoycottEurovision RTÉ to boycott Eurovision Song Contest over Israel www.rte.ie/entertainmen...
RTÉ to boycott Eurovision Song Contest over Israel
RTÉ will not participate in or broadcast next year's Eurovision Song Contest after organiser the European Broadcasting Union confirmed today that Israel will be allowed to take part.
rte.ie
From the people that brought you: - Let's arrest pensioners for 'terrorism' if they hold up signs. - Let's leave people seeking sanctuary in limbo for decades. The British government now presents: - Let's make looking up dinghies on the Argos website an offence... 🥺
NEW. Another 5% drop in adults doing English & maths. Numbers ⬇️60% since 2011. Matters as 9m adults have low literacy or numeracy, limiting work & life chances. Current trends = 20+ years to fix. DfE attribute latest fall to removing English & maths reqs from apprenticeships, a backward step IMV
