Unions seek agreement on inspection procedures

BOTH THE TUI and the ASTI have stated strongly that whole-school inspection can only go ahead if present agreed inspection procedures are re-negotiated.

"We're looking not just for consultation but negotiation on details," says Rose Malone, education and research officer with the TLI. "Anything that replaces the existing procedures must be negotiated."

Meanwhile, the ASTI has stated that it will not agree to whole school inspection unless "guidelines and principles acceptable to the ASTI are enshrined in a formal agreement".

In the most recent issue of its magazine, ASTIR, the union says that schools must be accountable to the Government and ultimately to the tax payer for monies spent but "crude performance indicators which may be appropriate to industry are not suitable mechanisms for evaluating schools".

Although the Department of Education's discussion document, which was presented to the education partners on March 13th, does not contain any indication that league tables will be adopted, there is concern. about a four-point scale that was mentioned in one of the presentations.

If this scale is adopted, schools could be rated as very good, good, fair or weak. As one participant put it: "It's not in the discussion document, but it's hanging in the air."

Malone notes that one paragraph in the document uses the language of measurement. "There is a concern at reports will be sent back to schools and available to parents. Essentially, that means that the reports will be in the public domain.

"We are very concerned that no comparisons will go on, particularly crude measures which may be taken 0ut of context," Malone explains. "We're very much opposed to the use of performance indicators and measurements that can be compared."

Malone says members are already quite clear about what the problems are in school and what is needed better pupil teacher ratios, small classes, more resources and better equipment. As to evaluation of teachers' performances, she says that the union is quite happy with the existing agreement and would oppose anything like the British OFSTED inspections, where teachers are labelled as good or bad based on a few hours' teaching (see story, E&L pages 8 and 9).

A draft formal response to the Department of Education's document is being prepared by the ASTI and this will be circulated to all union branches. The Education has requested responses from the partners by today, but Malone says this gives them insufficient time and the response will not ready until some time in May.