Inspection of Schools: Circular 31/82
Circular 31/'82: Inspection of Schools
is the most recently published circular by the Department
of Education and Science on the role of the Inspectorate
in schools.
Functions of Inspectors
The work of the Department's inspectors and their
relations with boards of management and teachers are
governed by Rule 161 of the Rules for National Schools,
as amended by Circular 11/'76. The principal functions
of the inspectors are:
- to provide the Minister with the information and advice s/he may require on matters pertaining to individual schools and on educational matters in general; and
- to co-operate with management authorities and teachers
in the work of the schools, especially by stimulating
interest in curriculum content, methodology and by
assisting teachers in need of guidance.
Teachers have a wide measure of freedom to select,
from within the general framework of the Primary School
Curriculum, the programmes most suitable and feasible
for their school. This has increased the need for carefully
co-ordinated planning of work within each school. The
amendments to Rule 161, announced in Circular 11/'76,
were intended to give the inspector the opportunity
of devoting more time to assessing the work of each
school as a whole and to advising teachers, particularly
the principal teacher, on the implementation of a suitable
school programme.
Responsibilities of Inspectors
1. The District Inspector has independent responsibility
for the inspection of the schools in her/his district
and for the assessment of the work of the teachers,
under the direction and supervision of the Divisional
Inspector as authorised by the Minister.
2. In order to fulfill the functions referred
to above, the inspector needs to make herself/himself
well acquainted with the work of the schools in her/his
district and with the local circumstances which influence
the work of both teachers and pupils. S/he familiarises
herself/himself with the work of the schools through
observing the interaction between teachers and pupils
and through taking and examining the class herself/himself.
3. The Divisional Inspector has a responsibility
to maintain an appropriate standard in the inspectors'
estimates of the work of teachers serving in the districts
of her/his division. To this end s/he normally inspects
schools annually in every district of her/his division
and confers with the inspectors in charge.
Incidental Visits
Incidental visits to schools in her/his district are
an essential part of the inspector's work. The
purpose of these visits is to enable the inspector to
make herself/himself well acquainted with the work of
individual teachers and of schools as a whole, to give
the teachers the benefit of her/his assistance and advice,
to encourage innovation, and to suggest suitable remedies
for defects s/he may observe in teaching methods.
Where an inspector visits a school for a specific purpose,
other than that normally comprehended in an incidental
visit, s/he usually states the reason for such visit.
The principal teacher, or any other teacher concerned,
may enquire from the inspector the purpose of her/his
visit at any time.
In the course of her/his visits to each school, the inspector keeps its general organisation under review and arranges to give the principal teacher any help and advice s/he may need in carrying out the responsibilities and duties specified in the appendix to Circular 16/’73 and in The Teacher's Handbook.
The inspector may also examine records of pupils'
progress and discuss with the teachers their preparation
for work based on their professional judgement. The
co-operation of teachers is required in connection with
the assessment of their work but, in the case of probated
teachers, it is not necessary for them to depart from
the class timetable to teach a specific lesson.
Frequent incidental visits are made to newly qualified teachers and to teachers whose service is not satisfactory or is only barely satisfactory.
General Inspections
General Inspections of the work of individual teachers
are held in the following cases in accordance with the
provisions of Rule 161 (4), (5), (6), (7), (10), (11),
and (13):
- teachers with the rating 'not satisfactory';
- teachers on probation;
- teachers who request a General Inspection of their work as provided for in Rule 161 (7); and
- teachers who have received a formal written notice, in accordance with the terms of Rule 161 (6), that it is intended to hold a General Inspection of their work
The purpose of the General Inspection is to assess the
teacher's professional competence and diligence
as they are reflected in the intellectual, physical
and social activities s/he provides for her/his pupils,
in their educational attainments and in any other important
aspect of her/his work.
The estimate 'satisfactory' or 'not satisfactory' represents the inspector's judgement of the teacher's success, or lack of success, in the discharge of all her/his duties.