Inspection reports for schools to be published

Publication of school inspection reports will start next January, Minister for Education Mary Hanafin told the House.

She said that while she did not want to pre-empt the outcome of a consultation process, the discussions held to date had been fruitful and constructive.

"Each of the partners realises the need to address the information deficit that exists at present in terms of ensuring full public access to balanced information on schools," she added.

"This is especially important to those like myself who are opposed to the publication of league tables based on results and want to find a better way.

"Such tables provide an unbalanced and grossly limited indication of a school's performance," she said.

However, Ms Hanafin said that she was determined to provide more information, for parents in particular, about schools in a way that ensured a fair and comprehensive picture of all the different activities in a school.

"In contrast to league tables, inspection reports from whole-school evaluations and other inspections, when read in their entirety, can provide balanced and well-informed information," she added.

"The whole evaluation process involves an examination of all the varied activities, from the quality of teaching and learning to the availability of extracurricular activities and the implementation of policies in areas such as bullying and health and safety."

Ms Hanafin said she was determined to progress the matter in a sensible and responsible way, and to ensure that the views of all the education partners were considered before the publication process was finalised. A final draft of proposals would be submitted to her in December.

Fine Gael spokeswoman Olwyn Enright asked how far Ms Hanafin intended going with school evaluation reports.

"I acknowledge what they will contain, but I am concerned parents will not be given a clear enough picture," she added. "Information about the ethos of a school and boards of management should be included."

Ms Hanafin said that whole school evaluation and subject inspection reports would be published. "A significant number of subject inspection reports take place each year whereby all the teachers are inspected," she said.

"These reports will be published, as will thematic inspection reports on, for example, Gaeilge, English and mathematics in the primary curriculum."

She added that composite reports would also be published, for example, on Gaeilge in the second-level curriculum. Those reports would give a broad view of individual schools and the teaching of subjects throughout the system.