Scribblings

It’s been a mad week

Aarrgghh!

It’s been a madhouse at work all week because of the school inspection starting on Monday. There still isn’t any panic but there have been an awful lot of stressed people dashing around like maniacs trying to get done all those things which the inspectors will expect to see. It still hasn’t finished either. The school is open all weekend.

No matter that the school works pretty well as it is. These things have to be done not because they’re necessary but because they’re expected. I mean, of what conceivable use is the Departmental Handbook? No one ever looks at the thing other than inspectors and, possibly, the management. Why do the teachers all have to prepare detailed, written lesson plans for every lesson they’ll teach during the inspection? Most teachers give up making such plans pretty soon after they leave college. The most they ever do after that is scribble a few notes in a diary.

I just hope the inspectors, when they turn up, recognise the school for the good, maybe even excellent, place which it is at the moment instead of concentrating on the faults. Every institution has faults and good ones already know what they are.

Posted 23 April 2004, 21:19
Earlier | Later