Inspector ‘should be mentor not tormentor’

TEACHERS in primary schools want a review of complaints procedures against inspectors who they claim are tormenting them for unnecessary amounts of paperwork.

Delegates at the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation congress complained about the demands from inspectors for copious amounts of class notes when they visit their schools. The problem is particularly frustrating for newly qualified teachers, who are inspected a number of times in their probationary year.

Ann Conlon of the INTO Tallaght branch said it was unfair that inspectors take such a critical stand with trainee teachers and suggested they should become more supportive.

She said some inspectors demand volumes of typed notes, which can be time-consuming and unnecessary. “It’s important to be prepared but an inspector would be better employed as a mentor, not a tormentor,” said Ms Conlon.

“I recall when I was starting out, the inspector told me to stand the children up and drill them. It’s time we stopped making new teachers jump through hoops; nobody knows everything about teaching, it’s a learning process,” she said.

While new teachers face the toughest grilling, the staff of all primary schools are inspected around once every five years. Members of the Department of Education’s inspectorate evaluate about 500 primary schools each year, involving a period spent in each classroom to assess teaching standards and the quality of learning. The most common complaints about inspections relate to the wide variation in the expectations of teachers for class plans and notes.

“There have been problems dealing with the inspectorate in schools, particular with the amount of paperwork demanded and a significant variation in practice among inspectors,” said Brendan Taaffe of the Dublin North West branch.

The motion passed by congress calls for a fair procedure for processing complaints against inspectors, which are heard by senior members of the inspectorate. The union is also to seek a review of the workload demands on teachers arising from the various forms of evaluation carried out by inspectors.