Microscope On Quality Of Schools
The Sun Herald
Sunday February 14, 1993
THREE primary schools in outer Sydney have become "guinea pigs" as part of a radical new program designed to review the performance of NSW schools.
The "quality assurance program" by the Department of School Education will rigorously monitor the curriculums, teaching methods, school management plans and academic achievements of the State's 2,200 schools during the next four years.
A team of eight review performance inspectors will spend a week interviewing teachers, pupils and parents of primary schools at Springwood and Faulconbridge in the Blue Mountains and Hobartville, near Richmond, before handing down their "report card".
The program was developed in response to one of the reforms demanded by controversial former NSW Education Minister Terry Metherell, who campaigned for a Statewide educational auditing system.
It is anticipated that the performance of 300 primary and high schools will be reviewed this year.
The department has appointed 28 inspectors, who will break into teams and compile a public report on each school.
Dr Peter Cuttance, the assistant director-general of education appointed to implement the program, said the program aimed to identify failings or shortcomings in a school and improve them.
He said the strategy would not be punitive or intrude on teachers' work but would be an open and co-operative exercise between teachers, students and parents.
"The review will be school-driven, not top-driven," Dr Cuttance said.
"The school's development plan and goals will be used as the main terms of reference for the review so the focus will be on whether the school community is achieving its objectives."
Although the NSW Teachers' Federation was not consulted when the program was first mooted, deputy president Ray Cavenagh said it had adopted a "suck it and see" approach to the program.
Mr Cavenagh said he expected "a few teething problems" but did not expect industrial clashes between the federation and the department unless "something stupid happens".
He said he hoped the program would not be used by the department to rubber-stamp its controversial Schools Renewal Strategy but be used to improve the educational services provided.
He said he suspected the department had decided to review three primary schools because they were smaller and less complex than secondary schools and had opted to "dissect a frog rather than dissect an elephant".
"It's a huge task - 2,200 schools have to go through the process during the next four years," Mr Cavenagh said.
"We'll wait and see how effective and well managed it is."
He said the federation had liaised with the department to ensure that any problems which arose during a performance visit were solved and not allowed to"fester".
The findings on the schools will be made public and if the audit indicates serious shortcomings in a school a further report will be commissioned.
© 1993 The Sun Herald