Dear Editor,

I refer to the article in E&L (April 23rd) which is laudatory in its treatment of the system of school inspection in Britain conducted by the Office of Standards in Education (OFSTED).

In the interests of balance in the discussion on school evaluation, it should be pointed out that the system of school evaluation as conducted by OFSTED is regarded as unacceptable by many people involved in education for the following reasons:

(a) non-professionals are involved in the evaluation of the work of professionals; for example, a person with no knowledge of physics is involved in the evaluation of the teaching of a physics teacher;

(b) schools in Britain report that the kind of invasive inspection conducted by OFSTED creates a climate of fear and stress in schools;

(c) schools report that putting on a performance" for the OFSTED inspectors becomes a goal of education rather than delivering a quality education to their pupils and

(d) schools involved report that the amount of documentation, reporting, collation and so on provides yet further diversion from the real work of schools, which is classroom teaching.

It should be noted by readers of The Irish Times that the Association of Teachers and Lecturers states that "in the interests of education, OFSTED should be abolished" (Guardian, April 4th). In addition, in response to the many criticisms of the intrusive kinds of school inspection engaged in by OFSTED, the education secretary in Britain has stated that "a new approach is to be announced".

It is important that the forthcoming debate on school evaluation should have as its focus the betterment of the education service and that advocacy of the kind of invasive system conducted by OFSTED should not inhibit a measured discussion of the issues involved.

Yours

Assistant General Secretary, Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland.