1925-1926-1927 - Department of Education and Skills

10Inspection of Schools.Revised Instructionsto Inspectors." Arising out of the recommendations made by the Committeeon the Inspection of Primary' Schools, the modified arrangements,indicated below, for the inspection of schools come into force onthe 1st August, 1928." 1.-Incidental 'Visits." (1) Incidental visits should, in future, be much more frequenttban they have been in the past." (2) The inspector should at intervals devote a special period-say a week or a fortnight-to paying short incidental visits toschools in various parts of his district." (3) The purpose of such frequent incidental visits is to enablethe inspector to become familiar with the schools in their everydayworking state, and to give them opportunities for affording tothe teachers the benefit of his assistance and advice, for observingfaults in teaching methods, for suggesting suitable remedies andfor making sure that the teacher understands and applies theseremedies." 2.-Records 0/ Incidental Visits." (1) In connection with these incidental visits, it will be necessaryfor the inspector to furnish reports to the Officeonly in cases.where he finds something especially praiseworthy or where he finds.some serious decline in the value 0:[ the work done in the schoolor some grave irregularity." (2) In all visits in which the inspector spends more than halfan hour in the school, he should leave such observations or suggestionsin the Suggestion Book (in future to be called the ObservationBook) as the circumstances may warrant. In visits of lessthan half an hour, he need not leave suggestions or observationsunless be considers it desirable to do so." (3) Where the inspector has spent his time in the schoolmainly in inspecting the working of the school and the methods.of the teachers or in helping the teachers, either by advice, suggestion,or example, the record left by him in the ObservationBook should give praise and commendation where deserved, shouldindicate any serious faults or weaknesses in the work where foundand make suggestions for their removal." (4) Where there is a question of some weakness in the work,some negligence of the teacher or some breach of the officialregulations, the noting should be entered in the Observation Bookonly after discussion of the matter with the teacher and afterhearing the teacher's explanation or representations. In the caseof faults not of a grave character, a record need not be made inthe Observation Book if the teacher gives a reasonable explanationor is prepared to remedy them, but failure to carry out a promiseto rcmcdv faults should be recorded.