In this paper, we provide an overview of the development of school inspection
in Ireland over the past twenty years using the analytic and critical lens
developed by Richard Boyle in partnership with the current authors. The
paper is fundamentally a reflection on the nature, purpose and operation of
evaluation in the Irish public sector through the lens of education. The paper
provides a historical overview of developments in the linked areas of school
evaluation and inspection, and goes on to explore how the implementation of
this mode of quality assurance has influenced, and been influenced by, a wide
range of policy actors. The argument made is that education has embedded a
culture of evaluation in a unique yet systemically resonant manner and that a
reflection on this reality will help illuminate our understanding of the role of
evaluation across the public sector as a whole.
Metadata
Item Type:
Article (Published)
Refereed:
Yes
Uncontrolled Keywords:
School evaluation; school inspection; accountability; quality assurance; reform