22 June, 2006 - First school inspection reports published on Department website

Valuable information about schools available to everyone at the touch of a button - Minister HanafinMinister for Education and Science Mary Hanafin T.D., today announced the publication by the Chief Inspector of the first school inspection reports on the website of the Department of Education and Science. 121 inspection reports were released on the Department's website today alongside the response received from the individual school inspected. These included 23 Whole School Evaluations (WSE) reports (18 primary and 5 post-primary schools) and 98 Subject Inspection reports (78 from "stand-alone" Subject Inspections and 20 conducted as part of WSE inspections.) Speaking in Cork today, where she was visiting a number of schools, Minister Hanafin said "the publication of the first set of school inspection reports marks an important step in making valuable information available on schools. For the first time ever information about the teaching and learning in our schools will be at everyone's fingertips, not just the preserve of a few. The reports resulting from inspections in schools will be regularly published on the Department's website. I expect that a further 36 inspection reports will be published on the website by the end of June and thereafter every eight to ten weeks during the school year." Minister Hanafin reiterated her strong opposition to compiling of so called 'league tables' for schools and said she believed that the inspection reports provided a balanced and fair evaluation of the work of individual schools. "League tables, based solely on examination results as we have seen in the media, can only provide a narrow and meaningless measure on the effectiveness of schools. The reports that the Chief Inspector is publishing today, by contrast, provide a balanced and fair assessment of the work of schools and the way that they seek to meet the learning needs of their students.  The schools themselves also have the very important right of reply which is published alongside the report." The Minister went on to say that these reports provide real and meaningful information on the schools. "The WSE reports comment on the school's management, its planning and management of resources, the effectiveness of teaching and learning, its arrangements for student assessment, supports for students, provision for minority groups and home-school links. In this way, a rounded picture of the quality and effectiveness of the school is provided. This will give the entire school community (management, teachers, parents and prospective parents) real information on the quality of the learning environment provided for students in the school. The Subject Inspection reports evaluate the teaching and learning of specific subjects in second-level schools. The reports appearing today cover a wide range of subjects including English, French, Spanish, Mathematics, Business subjects, Construction Studies and related subjects, History, Home Economics, Guidance, and Science subjects. The Minister said that the reports are intended, not only to provide information to the school community and the Department, but also to inform further development and improvement. "Each of the reports contains a summary of the main strengths and areas for development identified in the work of the school (in the case of WSE reports) or in the teaching of the subject (in the case of Subject Inspections). Clear, practical recommendations are provided by the inspectors so that schools can improve the learning experience they provide for students. Making the reports available to all of the school community will enable all staff, parents, board members and those in the management authorities to support the changes and developments that may be necessary in each school.""This is the first time in the history of the Inspectorate that reports on individual schools will have been made available to the general public. I want to thank the management and staff of the schools concerned for the full co-operation given to the inspection and publication process. Each of the schools was offered an opportunity to make written comments on the content of the reports and I am glad to see that a number of the schools submitted School Responses in which they outline how they will address the recommendations in the reports." The Minister also paid tribute to the members of the Inspectorate and Department staff for their work "both in evaluating schools and in making possible the publication of the reports in electronic format." "Today is just the beginning of the process which will make available substantial information on our schools and will enhance openness and transparency in the educational system" concluded Minister Hanafin.The Inspection Reports can be accessed at:Inspection Reports & Publications ENDS