Sir, – I read with great interest your report on June 16th (Home News) about secondary teachers facing unannounced inspections. Your piece presented this as necessary given the fall in performance in literacy rates in secondary classrooms. While I would concur with your report on falling literacy rates, I wonder how exactly unannounced inspections would actually improve literacy? Are the inspections to run parallel with new teaching in-service courses? Not that I’m aware of. Increased investment in information technology? Again, no.
I would like to ask what use is it sending people in to inspect who don’t regularly teach themselves? People who have not been in a classroom for years (since becoming inspectors) and won’t be returning to one – ever. Perhaps, to keep them in touch with the constantly changing nature of the Irish student population, they should not be in the inspectorate for any longer than five years? Can you imagine being taught to drive by someone who had not driven for years? – Yours, etc,