Editorial: Inspections in Northern Ireland schools must return - and soon

It is a sad indictment of Stormont’s record that developments in the assembly not infrequently have a surreal element.

​One example of such is the political nonsense that has ​been talked with regard to school inspections.

Paul Givan, the education minister, is of course right to take firm action to get inspections back on track.

As should be patently obvious, inspections are needed to ensure that schools are doing what they should be doing. To ensure that quality is maintained when it comes to teaching. And to ascertain an up to date understanding of the educational situation within schools, and what might be needed to improve things for pupils.

Inspections help to show which parts of the education sector need the most attention. It also helps to identify schools that are doing well, so we can learn from those schools.

Extraordinarily, Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK and Ireland where inspections lack legal protection. Extraordinarily, Northern Ireland has not had school inspections for almost a decade.

The massive disruption caused by the covid lockdowns is a partial excuse for this disgracefully long lapse in inspections, but not an adequate reason for the huge delay.

Now teachers could potentially receive fines if they do not take part in school inspections, under legislation wanted from Mr Givan. Inspections have been disrupted by factors including industrial action by teachers over workload.

​Now Justin McCamphill from the NASUWT has described the prospect of the proposed legislation as a "red flag to a bull". That would be a poor reflection on some of the more radical teaching elements if so.

Most teachers and schools want the best for their pupils. As part of that, inspections need to be reintroduced – and promptly.