TEACHERS yesterday called for a review of school inspections after concerns that the process is stressful and does not improve education.
Delegates at the EIS conference in Dundee unanimously backed a move to demand that the Scottish Government commission independent research into the role and effect of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education (HMIe) on standards.
The call c
omes in the wake of an announcement by HMIe last week that it was reducing the time inspectors spend in schools and putting more emphasis on health assessment. This followed the suspected suicide of Irene Hogg, a headteacher in the Borders, who was found dead just days after inspectors visited her school, Glendinning Terrace Primary.
Her brother, Roger, said she had complained of feeling stressed in the months leading up to her death.
Larry Flanagan, EIS education convener, said a survey of teachers' impressions of inspections had been carried out and found that "the general trend has been extremely negative".
Teachers, he said, found that the final report by inspectors often painted a distorted view of the school.
Fiona Smith, a teacher in Glasgow, described herself as a "victim" of HMIe. She added: "Someone has to stand up and say the system does not improve learning. A review is overdue."
Meanwhile, teachers voted against threatening industrial action if the class size maximum of 18 in P1-3 is not met.
However, John Inglis, a teacher in East Lothian, said: "The EIS is giving notice that we are holding the Scottish Government to account."
The full article contains 255 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
