Edufuturists

About Edufuturists

We are led to believe that the education system will continually evolve to meet the needs of learners and society. This has not happened. We need a revolution!

Publisher

Edufuturists

Category

education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

10 Feb 2018

Latest episode

5 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

2 of 421 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   5 Oct 2026

   Inclusion Can't Wait for an EHCP with Mykhailo Kalitkin (#364)

   What if inclusion can't wait for a diagnosis, a plan or a nine-month waiting list, and every week we wait is a week a child loses?In this episode, Ben and Steve are joined by Mykhailo Kalitkin, a Ukrainian education entrepreneur who has spent more than 20 years working in education. After his son Kirill was diagnosed with autism and given a prognosis that he would never speak, Mykhailo set out to change what was possible. Kirill now studies in an international school. After relocating from Ukraine to Poland and then Portugal because of the war, Mykhailo is turning his family's story into inclusive education and STEM projects used across more than 40 projects worldwide. He explains why schools are losing the fight with entertainment, why buying technology on its own never works, and why inclusion has to look at the whole child, not just their academic gaps.About our guestMykhailo Kalitkin is an education entrepreneur, scientist and founder with a background in physics and more than two decades of experience in education. Originally from Ukraine and now based in Portugal, he works across inclusive education and STEM. He has led national-scale programmes in Armenia, Kazakhstan (with the World Bank) and Ukraine, and developed a six spheres of development framework for assessing and supporting students with special educational needs.We cover:- How his son's autism diagnosis, and a prognosis that he would never speak, reshaped Mykhailo's life and work- Rebuilding a family and a business after relocating twice because of the war- Why falling STEM attainment means schools are "losing the fight with entertainment"- His core philosophy of spaces, knowledge and innovation, and why schools fail when they buy only technology- How AI took his business from 200 employees to 60 in-house- A Lego-style approach to implementation, and why good equipment should show scratches after a year- The case for learning from inclusion systems around the world, from Kazakhstan to Canada- The six spheres of development framework: cognitive, social, sensory, daily living, physical and speech- EHCPs, Individual Support Plans and the UK SEND white paperWhy you should listenIf you work in SEND, inclusion, STEM or school leadership, this episode offers a rare international view of what inclusive education can look like at scale. It comes from a parent who built the system he needed for his own son and then offered it to others. It is a reminder that the goal is not only academic progress but a child who is happy and successful in school.Chapters0:00 Highlights0:50 Welcome to the Edufuturists podcast2:23 Community events update from Steve3:13 Thanking our community leaders and the Wolfpack4:48 Meet Mykhailo and his son Kirill7:06 From "he will never speak" to an international school8:51 The journey behind the projects9:18 STEM education and losing the fight with entertainment11:10 A family story turned into a global project12:27 From one child to children all over the world14:29 Spaces, knowledge and innovation: the core philosophy16:43 How AI changed the shape of his business17:58 A Lego approach to implementation19:53 Why we need inclusive education frameworks22:50 Learning from Kazakhstan, Canada and beyond23:59 Context matters: Finland vs England25:31 The six spheres of development framework27:37 EHCPs, ISPs and the SEND white paper30:12 Impact: projects, teachers trained and hours of practice31:44 Reaching 1,000 schools in Armenia33:34 Ukraine's inclusive reform and what relocating families discovered35:33 Quick-fire questionsFind out more about UNOWA (https://www.unowa.eu/)Thanks so much for joining us again for another episode - we appreciate you.Ben & Steve xCheck out all about Edufuturists (https://www.edufuturists.com)Want to sponsor future episodes or get involved with the Edufuturists work?Get in touch (mailto:info@edufuturists.com)Grab your copy of the new Pick 'n' Mix Education book (https://www.crownhouse.co.uk/picknmix-education)Join the Wolfpack (edufuturists.com/wolfpack)

2. 

   27 Sept 2026

   Is Face-to-Face Learning Really as Good as We Think It Is? with Yusuf Ben-Tarifite (#363)

   What if the biggest problem in education isn't AI, it's that almost nothing we already do has ever been tested for evidence the way a new drug would be? In this episode In this episode, Ben and Steve sit down with Dr Yusuf Ben-Tarifite - A&E doctor, social mobility researcher, and founder of Ava - to talk about what happens when you apply medical-grade evidence standards to education. From email-blasting a thousand consultants to get work experience, to building the UK's first randomised control trial comparing AI tutoring against video, Yusuf makes the case that education's real crisis isn't too much AI scepticism; it's not enough rigour applied everywhere else. We cover: - Yusuf's journey from a Hertfordshire state school to Oxford medicine, and why he founded Aspiring Medics a week before Freshers' Week - The Diana Award, Prince William, and "leaving the ladder down" for others - Ava's mission: equality of opportunity, not just support for disadvantaged students - Why AI is a continuum, not a chatbot and how Ava uses it as a Socratic tutor and interview coach - Building an actual evidence base: doubling Oxbridge odds, and the UK's first randomised trial of AI vs video tutoring - The real hope for AI in education and the risk of turning students into "AI zombies" - Why writing and thinking are the same skill, and what that means for assessment - "I call bullshit": how often is high-quality face-to-face teaching actually happening? - The GCSE resit numbers that expose a one-size-fits-all system already failing thousands - Why cognitive discomfort, like progressive overload in the gym, is the point of learning, not a bug - The shrinking half-life of technical skills, and what it means for lifelong learning Chapters 0:00 Highlights 0:58 Welcome 3:20 Introducing Dr Yusuf: A&E doctor, researcher and founder of Ava 3:57 From a Hertfordshire state school to Oxford medicine 5:33 Who Ava is for: narrowing the gap, or equality of opportunity for all? 7:15 The AI revolution and democratising education8:17 The Diana Award, Prince William, and "leaving the ladder down" 10:25 What still drives him after the recognition 11:44 From Aspiring Medics to Oxbridge: his North Star for social mobility 13:33 Mirroring the Edufuturists journey, and the shrinking half-life of skills 16:18 Why social mobility is complicated and why tech alone won't fix it 18:04 Inside Ava: a "training course" for university applications 19:38 The "who you know" problem, and levelling the playing field 20:56 AI as a Socratic tutor and why "the genie can't go back in the bottle" 22:49 Building the evidence base: doubling Oxbridge odds, and the UK's first AI vs video trial 23:44 Beyond the hype: the real hope for AI in education, and the risk of "AI zombies" 26:33 Outsourcing the doing, not the thinking 28:13 Teaching cognitive biases, and why writing is thinking 29:58 Is high-quality face-to-face learning really happening as often as we assume? 31:47 The longitudinal evidence question, and a one-size-fits-all model that's already failing 33:04 Why AI should face the same scrutiny as every other intervention 34:07 The COVID hangover, and why we're asking the wrong question about online learning 36:10 Is there a gap between policy and technology? 37:35 Cognitive discomfort: why learning should feel like exercise 41:28 Has the fundamental nature of learning really changed? 42:43 Quickfire Questions Find out more about AVA (https://ai.theaspiringmedics.co.uk/)Check out all about Edufuturists (https://www.edufuturists.com)Want to sponsor future episodes or get involved with the Edufuturists work? Get in touch (mailto:info@edufuturists.com) Grab your copy of the new Pick 'n' Mix Education book (https://www.crownhouse.co.uk/picknmix-education) Join the Edufuturists Wolfpack (edufuturists.com/wolfpack)

3. 

   21 Sept 2026

   Home-educated, not Home-Alone: The Live Pick & Mix Education Panel at MVA's Birthday Party (#362)

   What if the man who invented modern American schooling didn't actually believe in it, not enough to send his own kids? In this episode, Ben and Steve take Edufuturists live on stage in front of an audience at Minerva Virtual Academy's (MVA) 5th birthday celebration, launching their new book, Pick 'n' Mix Education. They're joined by MVA founder and CEO Hugh Viney and home educating parents Hannah and Olivia for an unfiltered conversation about why "one size fits all" schooling is failing families and what choice actually looks like in practice. About our guests Hugh Viney is the founder and CEO of Minerva Virtual Academy (MVA), returning for his second appearance on the Edufuturists podcast. MVA has been named Edufuturists Online School of the Year for two years running. Hannah has home educated her children for nearly 16 years, previously worked in behaviour management at a pupil referral unit, and now has two of her older teens studying at MVA. She is on social media (https://www.instagram.com/thrivingwithhannah/) Olivia is a home-educating mum of two who built an online following around family life before opening up about choosing education outside the mainstream system. She is on social media (https://www.instagram.com/lifeatmoathouse/) We cover: - The Woolworths "pick and mix" analogy at the heart of Ben and Steve's new book - Horace Mann: the godfather of standardised American schooling who homeschooled his own kids - Why every penny of profit from Pick 'n' Mix Education goes to youth mental health charity Beyond - Hannah's move from unschooling to MVA, and the exam results that surprised her - Redefining success beyond grades and dismantling the "they won't socialise" myth And lots more! Why you should listen Recorded live in front of a festival field full of parents, educators and home-schooling families, this is Edufuturists at its most unfiltered - real stories from people who've chosen a different path, not theory about it. If you've ever wondered whether there's a genuine alternative to "the school at the end of the road," this conversation makes the case, live, warts and all. Chapters 0:00 Introduction 1:17 Welcome live from the MVA stage 2:27 Meet your hosts: Ben and Steve 3:52 The Woolworths analogy: what "pick and mix" education means 5:18 New book: Pick 'n' Mix Education and where the profits go 6:13 The Horace Mann paradox: he built standardised schooling, then homeschooled his own kids 7:47 Bringing the panel to the stage: Hugh, Hannah and Olivia 8:32 Hugh Viney: founder and CEO of MVA 9:45 Hannah: 16 years of home educating, now at MVA 10:32 Olivia: home-educating mum of two 11:28 The End of Average: the cockpit built for everyone that fit no one 12:39 Hannah's story: relationships, safety, and the results that surprised her 14:01 Beyond grades: celebrating the whole learner, and choosing rather than rejecting school 15:42 "But how will they socialise?" 17:26 What if parents controlled a share of education funding, like some US states allow? 19:06 What pick and mix actually looks like, day to day 20:24 Curiosity, autonomy, and the bedtime analogy 22:04 Inside MVA: weekly mentors, live lessons and self-directed learning 24:23 Why the trip is remembered and the lesson isn't 26:11 From unschooling to formal learning: what the transition actually looks like 27:50 Deferred starts, academy takeovers, and choosing freedom 29:12 "What works for my child" not what works at scale 30:27 MVA's mission for the next five years: first choice, not last resort 32:23 Quickfire Questions 36:35 MVA 5th Birthday Highlights Video Find out more about MVA (https://www.minervavirtual.com/) Thanks so much for joining us again for another episode - we appreciate you.Ben & Steve xCheck out all about Edufuturists (https://www.edufuturists.com)Want to sponsor future episodes or get involved with the Edufuturists work?Get in touch (mailto:info@edufuturists.com)Grab your copy of the new Pick 'n' Mix Education book (https://www.crownhouse.co.uk/picknmix-education) Join the Edufuturists Community (edufuturists.com/wolfpack)

Inside a recent episode

Edufuturists #145 - New, Next or Never Normal One Year On with David Jones OBE

Published 22 Jul 2021 · Transcript excerpt

[…] So last year when we did the first bit of work there were six themes that we was the focus really of last year's presentation and they were around pedagogy. So in other words, looking at the methods of practice and teaching and learning and specifically looking at the role of technology then picking up the issue of content was deemed to be a priority and maybe developing new content to go with a new pedagogy and thinking about different ways of co -creation the way that content is produced and we'll have more of that shortly. A third theme was around professional development in other words where college is ready to respond to sort of online and blended learning and clearly the answer we picked up in the last couple of weeks is that it's been a real mixed bag. […]

Who has been a guest on Edufuturists

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Professor Andy Hargreaves
• Leonie Briggs
• Tom Hooper
• John Tomsett
• Emma Darcy

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

57,239

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

3.7 / 5

3 ratings

Spotify

3.7 / 5

3 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 78 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

89

Social presence

0

YouTube

85

Engagement

85

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Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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