OFSTED, Inspection and the Betrayal of Democracy

Drawing briefly on the quite different discourses of schooling-as-performance and education-as-exploration, the paper opens by exploring some of the consequences of the distinction between schooling and education for any system of school inspection. The second section of the paper examines the conceptual and practical inadequacy of 'accountability' as an agent of reciprocal public engagement in a participatory democracy. In its stead a more robust, more open notion of 'reciprocal responsibility' is offered as a more fitting means of professional and communal renewal. Section III focuses on the relationship between means and ends that is at once central to democracy and so conspicuously absent from current inspection arrangements. The short conclusion suggests we need a radical break from OFSTED if we wish to approximate more closely to our democratic aspirations.     

HMI and OFSTED : Evolution or Revolution in School Inspection

HMI and Ofsted modes of school inspection are described and compared. The links between these modes are stressed. The information gathering capacity of Ofsted enables it to formulate specific and authoritative advice on good curriculum and pedagogic practice and thus to influence the direction of education policy and steer the system generally.     

Inspection Effectiveness: an analysis of an OFSTED inspection

Barry Carpenter, Principal Lecturer in Education, Westminster College, Oxford and Chris Stoneham, Head of Learning Support, Henry Box School, Witney, Oxfordshire, build on the advice given by Maria Landy in Vol.9 No. 1 of Support for Learning , and show how an OFSTED inspection can be a rewarding experinece.     

The OFSTED Inspection Model: the views of LEA chief inspectors

This paper describes the results of an interview study of the reactions of local education authority (LEA) chief inspectors to the OFSTED inspection model and Handbook. Although inspectors generally commended the thorough nature of the inspection approach, substantial reservations were nevertheless expressed about certain aspects, particularly the logistics of conducting inspections. Inspectors’ views of the methods and procedures are discussed in the light of the implicit rationale of the model and the findings of an OFSTED‐initiated review of the first 100 OFSTED inspections. The paper concludes by suggesting that some of the fundamental assumptions underpinning the model should be questioned     

Instead of OFSTED: a critical discussion of OFSTED on ‘Spiritual,Morale Social and Cultural Development’

This article offers a critical appraisal of the consultation document on ‘Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development’ issued by the Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED) in February 1994.     

ARTICLES PUBLISHED: 1986-1996

ABSTRACT

A PSYCHODYNAMIC APPROACH TO EDUCATION. Alex Co-ren. London: Sheldon Press, 1997, 176 pages. Reviewed by Jane C. Widseth.

THE HEART OF BEING HELPFUL: EMPATHY AND THE CREATION OF A HEALING PRESENCE. Peter R. Breggin. New York: Springer Publishing Company, Jnc, 1997, 186 pages. Reviewed by Gerald Amada.     

>OFSTED: inspecting schools and improvement through inspection

Approximately one‐third of all maintained secondary schools in England, and a smaller tranche of nursery, primary and special schools, were inspected under the arrangements set out in Section 9 of the 1992 Education (Schools) Act by the end of 1994. This article reviews some aspects of quality assurance in the national inspection system in England. It looks in particular at the improvement of inspection and at improvement through inspection. Continuous improvement of the inspection system reflects feedback from key stakeholders, as well as work by OFSTED to incorporate new developments. Improvement through inspection, broadly defined, has to cover both what occurs at the individual school level and in the system at large as a result of inspection. We argue that an effective inspection system can provide a powerful incentive for, as well as directly contributing to, school improvement and development     

Federal precedents and the origins of the charter school movement in Florida,USA, 1981–1996

After four years of failed attempts, lawmakers in the State of Florida sanctioned charter schools in 1996. This paper traces the political origins of the charter school movement in Florida and the USA as a whole. Examining legislation and reforms at the federal level, as well as state legislative proceedings, this paper identifies key political precedents. Nationally, the privatisation initiatives of the federal government created a climate conducive to charter school programmes. In Florida, a dual educational emphasis on local operational autonomy and accountability to the state appeared in the early 1990s, which paved the way for charter school legislation. By 1996, new federal charter school programmes solidified bipartisan support in Florida for this particular brand of school choice.     

Annual Index Volume 75, 1981-82

Abstract

This study was designed to investigate whether teachers who receive training and then implement more effective instructional practices change in terms of the reasons they offer for their effectiveness. Comparisons were made between 46 teachers who were trained in and implemented mastery learning techniques and 50 similar teachers who could not be included in the training. The results of a multivariate analysis of variance showed that the mastery learning teachers attached increased importance to teaching practices and behaviors in explaining their effectiveness after they had implemented these techniques. Furthermore, there was a significant reduction in the importance mastery learning teachers attached to personality factors. The implications of these findings for staff development are discussed.     

Equity and marketisation: a brief commentary

Beginning with a reflection on the Participation and Equity Program (PEP) in Australia in the 1980s, this response describes the distinctive ideological shift from a social democratic to a market conception of equity in education over the past three decades. This shift has been accompanied by changes in the techniques of educational governance, from the collaborative approach of the PEP, which emphasised the importance of trust in teachers as professionals, to new managerialism focused on efficiency and accountability. Market reforms in education have continued to use such traditionally socially democratic notions as equity, but have been enormously successful in re-articulating their meaning. A commentary is provided on the papers in this Special Issue and their collective analysis of governmental strategies that have led to this re-articulation of equity; the extent to which these strategies have been successful; the consequences they have had on students and school communities, and for the work of teachers and schools; and possibilities for creating new approaches in education that undermine the seemingly hegemonic neo-liberal imaginary and work towards a more progressive democratic view of educational equity.     

Nation,Curriculum and Identity in Conservative Cultural Analysis: a critical commentary

The article begins with a brief discussion of the recent invitation by the Chief Executive of the School Curriculum and Assessment Authority to engage in debate about the role of the National Curriculum in promoting national identity. It argues the need for a more systematic analysis than has so far been provided, of the inter‐relationships within Conservative curriculum discourse between five elements: nation, culture, identity, social cohesion and curriculum. The second main section examines writing within this tradition on the themes of nation and nationalism and social integration, drawing particularly on the work of Ernest Gellner. The final section focusses on questions of culture, ‘high’ culture and cultural diversity, illustrating the long‐standing character of the critique of economic individualism within Conservative writing (broadly conceived), before critically reviewing certain aspects of contemporary neo‐conservative discourse on British culture and the curriculum.     

1981-2004:鲁迅研究在江苏

从1981年到2004年,江苏省鲁迅研究会的学者们在将近25年中,从不同的角度接近鲁迅、阐释鲁迅,以细腻、朴素、扎实、创新的学术精神形成了自己的研究风格,以执著和勤奋孕育出了江苏鲁迅研究的丰硕成果,被全国鲁研界所重视。     

1981—1998期刊管理自动化研究的统计分析

通过对１９８１－１９９８年间我国期刊管理自动化研究论文的统计和定量分析,笔者认为：该领域的研究已进入快速发展阶段;研究论文主要集中于图书情报类刊物,论文合著率明显提高,但多产作者校少;综合性论文居多。