Seymour Crawford
Ceist:24 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Education and Science the quality indicators, if any, his Department collects in relation to the performance of schools. [21735/97]
Written Answers. - Performance of Schools.
Seymour Crawford
Ceist:84 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Education and Science the quality indicators, if any, his Department collects in relation to the performance of schools. [21734/97]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 24 and 84 together.
Primary schools are inspected every five to six years by my Department's inspectorate. Reports on these inspections are furnished to my Department and copies are sent to the principal of the school and the chairperson of the board of management. These reports deal with all aspects of the work of the school and refer to the quality of teaching and learning in the school.
This country also participates in international surveys of curricular attainment in primary and second level schools conducted by international organisations. Such surveys have been carried out in recent years in literacy, mathematics and science. It is intended to expand our participation in such surveys to include other areas of the curriculum where appropriate.
Consultations are taking place at present between my Department and the teachers' unions and other partners on the introduction of a new system of inspection in all schools at both primary and second level. The assessment of the quality of education in school will be an important objective of this inspection. It is intended to pilot the use of agreed indicators of quality in consultation with the partners in a small number of schools in 1998.