The proposed publication of inspectors' reports will provide parents with a fair and balanced assessment of how a school is performing, said Minister for Education Mary Hanafin.
While reaffirming her opposition to school league tables, she said the publication of inspectors' reports would be a significant step towards greater openness.
The comments came as senior Department of Education officials today start a series of meetings with teacher unions and others about the Minister's plans. These reports, compiled by department inspectors, provide an overall assessment of schools but do not give exam results.
Ms Hanafin said she is in favour of making "as much information as possible available about schools" provided this information is fair and balanced. Parents, students, school authorities and the taxpayer have a right to fair and balanced information.
She said the inspection reports give a rounded picture of how a school is performing. They provide a "fair and penetrating analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of schools in a way that can provide a real indication of school quality.
"They provide valuable information for the school's board and teachers, and for current and prospective parents.
"That is why I have decided to put in place a system by which inspection reports can be published and made readily accessible to the whole school community and to the public in general.
"I believe that this will be a significant step in bringing greater openness and transparency to our educational system, and I have asked the inspectorate to discuss with parents, teachers and management how best this can be achieved without delay."
The reports, she said, can identify when schools and teachers are working to optimum effect and where improvements are needed.
"We must have a system that can give us fair and balanced information on how effective each school is in enabling each young person to achieve his or her potential.
"Parents, students, school authorities and the general taxpayer have a right to this information. We owe it to our young people to ensure that schools do provide a high-quality service."
Looking solely at a school's exam results tells us little about the quality of teaching, she said.
"Schools that enable the less academic students reach their potential through high-quality teaching deserve as much credit, if not more, than schools that guide the 'high flyers' towards maximum points.
"School league tables, based on examination results, cannot reflect this distinction and they can create an entirely misleading impression about the quality of teaching in different schools."
