The exponential growth that school inspection has undergone for the control and evaluation of the quality of teaching during the last two decades has been greatly favored by several international economic and sociopolitical factors, in particular by the policies of transnational organizations such as UNESCO and the OECD. However, it is important to note that the influence of these international factors is conditioned by the history, traditions, policies and, perhaps, above all, by the political aspects of the countries. To illustrate this point, we decided to study the school evaluation systems of four countries: Dubai, Ireland, New Zealand and Pakistan, and analyze the drivers that have contributed to their development. To carry out this research, We have analyzed the bibliography, official websites and documents prepared by the inspection services of these countries. We conclude that, although the influence of transnational organizations on the growth of school inspection in these countries is evident, the local sociopolitical context also has, in our opinion, a significant influence