Unit 1: Concept of School Inspection and Supervision

Educational Supervision and School Inspection (PDE – 116)
UNIT 1: CONCEPT OF SCHOOL INSPECTION AND

SUPERVISION
INTRODUCTION
Education is gaining more prominence in the affairs of Nigerians more than ever before. It is
seen as a way of answering so many questions and solving a myriad of problems. More
funds are being committed to education both by the Governments and Private citizens. There
is therefore a greater demand for probity and accountability. The maintenance of standards
and assurance of adequate measures of quality control are now the concern of all enlightened
parents. The significance of school inspection and supervision has now come into the
limelight.
The terms – Supervision and Inspection are often used interchangeably. There is the need to
clarify these two terms and spell their functions in education.
In this unit, the meaning of the two terms will be discussed and their differences brought out.
The purposes of inspection in education will be explained and how to conduct an effective
inspection will be outlined.
OBJECTIVES
At the end of this unit, you should be able to:
i. define the terms inspection and supervision;
ii. distinguish between supervision and inspection;
iii. give a brief history of educational supervision in Nigeria;
iv. discuss the purposes of inspection;
v. give the rationale for school inspection;
vi. outline the roles of an effective inspection; and
vii. discuss teachers perception of inspection.
HOW TO STUDY THIS UNIT

1. You should carefully read through this unit and take note of the important ideas as
you read.
2. Take note of the unfamiliar words and study them in your private time.
3. Study the unit step by step and attempt all the activities and assignments stated in the
unit.
4. Seek the assistance of your course facilitator in areas of difficulty.
198
THE CONCEPTS OF INSPECTION AND SCHOOL SUPERVISION

Concept of Supervision
School personnel remain one of the most significant resources in the school. Supervision of
the school personnel is central to the attainment of the goals and objectives of the school.
The National Policy on Education (NPE) has highlighted in precise terms the objectives of
educational supervision, which is “:to ensure quality control through regular inspection and
continuous supervision of instructional and other educational services” (1981).
There are various definitions of educational supervision. There is the need to state some of
them in order to bring out what educational supervision is, its nature and purposes in
education.
The Good’s Dictionary of education (1945) defined educational supervision as “all efforts of
designated school officials towards providing leadership to the teachers and other
educational workers in the improvement of instruction. It also involves the stimulation of
professional growth and development of teachers, a selection and revision of educational
objectives; materials of instruction, methods of teaching; and the evaluation of instruction.
To Dodd (1968) and Ogunsanya (1985) Supervision is perceived as a way of advising,
guiding, refreshing, encouraging, stimulating, improving and over-seeing certain groups with
the hope of seeking their cooperation in order for the supervisiors to be successful in their
tasks of supervision
Other schools of thought see supervision as a way of persuading people to desist from
applying wrong procedures in carrying out certain functions on their jobs, and at the same
time try to emphasize the importance of good human relations in an organization (Ogunsaju
1983).
The essence of supervision is therefore the monitoring of the performance of school staff,
noting the merits and demerits and using befitting and amicable techniques to ameliorate the
flaws while still improving on the merits thereby increasing the standard of schools and
achieving educational goals. Thus, the concern of educational supervision is the
improvement in teaching and teaching environment in order to promote effective teacher
performance and learning in the school.
Supervision is thus a combination or integration of a number of processes, procedures and
conditions that are consciously designed with the sole aim of advancing the work
effectiveness of teachers and other personnel involved in the schooling process.
We should note that educational supervision focuses on changing the behaviour of staff for an
improved performance. In most cases, it is internally arranged by the school head and at
times assisted by other agencies and stakeholders. Supervision pays more attention to
personnel and instructional delivery more than the pupils in the school. In other to enhance
instruction, the role of the supervisors should be supportive, assisting, explanative,
encouraging, guiding, advisory, improving and sharing rather directing.
199
The Purposes of School Supervision

The major concern of school supervision is the enhancement of the quality of instruction in
schools. Harris (1963) perceived supervision as “what school personnel does with adults and
things for the purpose of maintaining or changing the operations of the school in order to
directly influence the attainment of the major instructional goals of the school. Supervision
has its impact on the learner through other people and things”
From the above, the role of supervision will include:
• Deciding the nature and content of the curriculum
• Selecting the school organizational patterns and materials that will enhance
educational growth
• Improvement of teacher effectiveness.
• Ensuring that teachers are performing their duties as scheduled.
• Improvement of the incompetent teachers.
• Providing a guide for staff development.
• Determining the effectiveness of the teachers’ classroom management.
• Determining the ‘tone’ of the school.
• Determining special abilities possessed by teachers and deciding who to be
transferred retained, promoted or disengaged.
The Head teacher is usually the supervisor within the school. He/She is foremost on
instructional leader. However, there are many other managerial activities expected of
him/her in the school. It is regrettable that many head teachers do not often see themselves in
the supervisory role of promoting the quality of teaching and learning in schools rather they
see their main roles to be those of teachers, administrators, and managers of personnel and
finances, counsellors and disciplinarians for students, liaison with parents and school board
Ministry of education, and supervisors of academic areas of the institutions.
In carrying out the role of a supervisor, the head teacher should be visible in all corners and
crannies of the school and not hide away in his office all day long. In a school based
supervision, according to the Inspector’s Manual (2001), the head teacher should:
• visit teachers in their classes regularly and discuss their observations with them;
• help both new and experienced teachers with planning their schemes of work and
lessons and counsel them regularly;
• have authority, and use it with the teachers, to set school level objectives, and to
determine the school’s activities to achieve those objectives;
• collect teachers’ lesson plans regularly and comment on them;
• be accessible to both teachers and students and listen to their concerns and interact
informally with them;
200
• trust their teachers and delegate authority to them; and

• check regularly on the safety and welfare of teachers and students and take care of
problem as they arise.
Adhering strictly to the above amount to a systematic and efficient supervision, which will
result in an effective and efficient school characterized by:
i. excellent achievement by many pupils in examinations.
ii. excellent performance in games, sports, drama, debates, music, festivals etc.
iii. well ‘behaved’ pupils’; and
iv. the success of past students.
The Concept of School Inspection

In the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of current English, the word “Inspect” is
defined as
a) “examine carefully”
b) “visit officially to see that rules are obeyed, that work is done properly etc”
Beyond this definition, the main emphasis of inspection is on the improvement of learning
and teaching activities in the school. It tends to critically examine and evaluate the school as
a place for teaching-learning enterprise.
Inspection, because of its focus on monitoring and evaluation of academic performance and
development in schools, is always carried out with the intention of maintaining and
improving on the quality of learning of students. It tends to improve all factors that affect
teaching and learning in our school system.
Inspection is always initiated by agents external to the school. These agents, called
Inspectors usually from either the Federal, State or Local Government Inspectorate Services.
As earlier mentioned, their focus is on monitoring, evaluating and facilitating the
teaching/learning activities in schools. They also ensure that effective and appropriate
teaching methods are used. Where deficiencies have been observed, they often recommend
the use of remedial actions.
At the end of inspection visits, reports are usually written to detail identified strengths and
weaknesses of the school with appropriate recommendations for improvement.
REASONS FOR INSPECTING SCHOOLS

(a) For the purpose of getting government approval, schools especially new ones, were
inspected to ascertain their suitability. In such cases the schools are expected to meet
certain standards in pupil enrolment, number and qualification of teachers, the school
plant (nature, suitability of buildings), equipment, curriculum etc. Schools which
were found to meet the standards were granted approval and grant-aided while those
that failed to meet the set requirements were ordered to close down. If they
continued to operate, they would be termed unapproved or illegal schools.
201
In addition, some junior secondary schools need to be upgraded to senior secondary

schools. They have to meet certain standard. There is need for them to be inspected.
(b) Inspection for operational improvement
The purpose of this is to highlight areas of deficiency in the system with a view to
ensuring improvement. In this case an inspector or a team of inspectors visit a school
and spend 2 to 5 days examining the various aspects of the school system in
operation. They take record and/or evaluate the staffing, the student population and
composition, the school finance, the academic programmes (syllabus, scheme of
work, written work, students’ progress records), the tone of school, the co-curricular
activities, the health and sanitation aspects etc. The inspector(s) then hold a
conference with principal and staff and then return to the base to write up reports on
their findings. Such reports are valid assessments of the school system operation
since they indicate areas that merited commendation and areas that needed attention.
(c) Inspection of school for programmes Recognition
The reason for this type of inspection is to get examination bodies such as West
African Examination Council to recognize and approve the school’s academic
programmes. In the case of a n ew school, a team of inspectors will visit the affected
school and examine all the subjects in terms of quality, quantity, staffing and
equipment in which the school wants to present candidates. The reports of such a
visit will then be sent to the examination body for approval. In the case of an old
school that wants to present candidates in a new subject, the inspection will be
directed in that new subject with a view to ascertaining the suitability or preparedness
of the institutions.
(d) Inspection of school as a result of situational demand
The situational type of school inspection is the type carried out during a period of
crisis or mergency in a school. For this purpose, a panel is set up by the Ministry to
investigate emergent cases such as student protest or riots, school – community
conflicts (staff – staff, student-staff, or staff-principal) or even cases of financial
impropriety or other type of misconduct. During the course of duty of such a panel, it
may wade into other school related issues such as finance, programmes, and facilities.
The objective of the inspection would centre on the investigation of and reporting on a
specific case or situation rather than on evaluating the school system’s production
process for setting of standards or for accreditation.
Commonly examined components of the school system

During inspection, attention is often focused on a number of the aspects of the school system
to ascertain standards. These include organizational structure, achievements, relationship
with the immediate community and the public, curriculum delivery, information system and
the school climate amongst others. Some of these components will now be expatiated upon
as follows:
202
(a) School organisation

This is the general arrangement of the human and material resources available in the
school for the attainment of educational objectives. It is assessed during an inspection
by evaluating the length of school year, length of school day, length of class periods,
size of classes, student-teacher ratio, relative location of classrooms and other aspects
of the school plant, enrolment in school, general school attendance etc, and the inter-
relationship among them.
(b) School Administration
This is the implementation and facilitation of the programmes and the management of
the school resources for the achievement of the school objectives. It includes the
examination of the issues which are related to Ministry of Education/Teaching
Service Commission policies, meetings, self evaluation, financial records and reports,
internal accounting, auditing of funds, student boarding and/or transportation etc,
school records and reports, philosophy, methods and objectives of the school, school-
community relationships, supervision of school work, supervision of curricular
activities etc.
(c) Personnel
Assessment of school personnel includes the examination of number, qualification
and certification of teachers, types of non-academic staff available, salaries, the
qualification and leadership of the school administrator, present personnel policies of
the Ministry and the Teaching Service Commission, In-service training programmes,
teachers’ punctuality in school, regularity in classes etc.
(d) Pupils
Things to consider under the evaluation of pupils are issues related to admissions,
attendance, health and sanitation, promotion, examination, progress reports, grading
and reporting system to parents and other agencies, co-curricular activities, student
records, discipline etc.
(e) Programmes of Studies
The focus here is the nature and quality or adequacy of the school programmes. This
includes graduation requirements, curriculum and/or instruction, instructional
materials including text books, guidance and counselling, libraries, laboratories,
teacher’s teaching load, distribution of subjects, subject allocation, regularity of
teaching, methods of classroom and or laboratory operations etc.
(f) Plant and Equipment
In assessing school plant and equipment the following are taken account of: site,
situation and location of school plant, construction of school plant, sanitation,
ventilation and general hygienic conditions in the plant, equipment, lighting,
administrative space, classroom space, space for co-curricular activities, maintenance
services, security services etc.
203
(g) Other Item

In an ideal school inspection, some of the other areas that are examined include
school-community relationship, community use of school plant, space for special
programmes (music, art, physical education, community health centre etc) safety
regulations, visitations, Parent-Teachers Association, Alumni Association etc,.
The above list is merely a collection of the type and nature of the issues examined in school
inspection. It is by no means exhaustive. Furthermore, issues examined in school inspection
may change from time to time depending on changing government policies. For instance,
there was a time when inspectors went into schools to examine Education levy receipts.
Now, we also go into schools to find out the number of students who have or have not paid
school fees with a view to asking principals to send them out. These are ephemeral issues
and their duration is determined by the posture/comfort of the government of the day.
INSPECTION AND SUPERVISION – ANY DIFFERENCE?

At a glance, you may take it that Inspection and Supervision are the same but they are
different in practice. Inspection focuses on monitoring and evaluating performance. It seeks
to answer the question: how well is the or school the school performing relative to set
standards. The result of inspection is thus a normative statement about how well the school
or the individual is doing.
Supervision, on the other hand focuses on improving performance so as to produce or
accelerate development. It seeks to answer the question: what are the schools or individual
teacher’s strength and weaknesses and how can the latter be improved? The results of
supervision are changes in behaviour of personnel.
The two concepts are similar in that they aim at:
i. improving academic performance in schools.
ii. ensuring the achievement of the academic goals of the school through structural
activities.
However, the two are different in some important areas as discussed in the next section.
Differences between Supervision and Inspection

Inspection and supervision are different in many aspects. For clarity, the major areas of
differences have been tabulated as follows:
S/No Inspection Supervision

1. Formal Less formal
2. Focuses on the monitoring and Focuses on maintaining and improving
evaluation of performance performance
3. Usually carried out by an external agent Usually carried out by an internal agent (the
the inspection, departments, etc. head teacher) and head of subject
204
4. Aims at changing all factors affecting the Aims at changing the instructional practice
behaviour of the teacher methods and techniques affecting teaching
and learning.
5. Facilitates and reinforce Explores, encourages and supports
teaching/learning activities teaching/learning activities.
6. Less frequent Frequent
7. Usually planned ahead Sometimes not planned
8. Done as a team Done individually.
Source: Federal Ministry of Education, Inspectors’ Manual, 2001.
ACTIVITY 1
1. Distinguish clearly between Supervision and Inspection.
2. Explain the reasons for inspecting schools.
2. Discuss briefly the various components of the school that are often inspected
HISTORICAL ASPECTS OF SCHOOL SUPERVISION AND INSPECTION

The significance of historical knowledge in discussing contemporary issues cannot be over
emphasized. Historical knowledge not only gives insight into the nature of the supervisory
problem but directs attention to what is going on today as it affects the supervising problem
in question (Ogunsaju, 1983).
Obilade (1984) and Ojedele (2000) outlined five periods in the evolution of the leadership
styles employed in the supervision of school personnel as follows:
I. Administrative Inspection
This era covers 18th, 19th and early part of the 20th century. The focus of inspection
was on the personality of the teacher and the effectiveness of classroom management
and maintenance of the school plant.
II. Scientific Supervision (1910 – 1930)
This coincided with the scientific management and industrial revolution in Europe
and America. The concern of the industrialists was the maximization of profit. The
view held was that workers are passive and that increase in their pay will boost
efficiency and enhance productivity in organizations. Fredrick Taylor and other
exponents of scientific management were behind this movement and confused that
monetary incentives will attract workers.
This approach impinged on the school system and inspection was autocratic and
“Snoopervisory” There was no consideration for teachers. Their motivations as well
205
as their welfare were neglected. Teachers had no contribution whatsoever into

supervision and curriculum development.
III. Democratic Supervision Or Human Relation Supervision As (1930 – 1950)

This approach to supervision was ushered in by the workers’ opposition to the
principles and practices of the scientific management. This opposition was supported
by Elton Mayo’s findings at Hawthosne. The Hawthosne studies among other things
found that informal groups to which workers belong affects their behaviour and
productivity. Likewise is the relationship between the workers and the organisation.
The management of personnel thus becomes more humane and democratic.
In the school system, teachers were well recognized and were given cooperation and
assistance as required. This era introduced such ideas as group dynamics, policy
making by consultation, diffusion of authority, vertical and horizontal communication
and delegation into educational supervision.
According to Obilade (1988), the following assumptions greatly influenced the theory
and practice of school supervision during this era:
i. Human beings have their own goals, values, feelings, emotions and needs
which affect the way they behave;
ii. The organisation expects members to behave in ways consistent with
organizational needs and goals; and
iii. organizational needs and human needs are not necessarily congruent.
IV. The Neo-Scientific Supervision Era (1960 – 1970)

The major criticism of the human relation era was that it was too soft on the personnel
at the detriment of the school goals and objectives. The focus was on the
effectiveness and efficiency of the organization. Various forms of supervisory
approaches came into play such as Management by Objectives, MBO; Performance
Objectives; Systems Analysis; Cost-Benefit analysis etc.
All affected the mode of inspection during this era. Accountability was the
watchword here.
V. Human Resources Supervision Era (1970s to Date)
The motivation of teachers towards enhanced productivity is the concern of this era.
All efforts to improve teachers’ welfare and job satisfaction are seen as means of
improving their performance in the school system.
A number of capacity building initiatives are being taken and school-based
professional support is being encouraged.
HISTORY OF SCHOOLS SUPERVISION IN NIGERIA

History has it that schools followed the establishment of mission outposts in Abeokuta,
Badagry and Ibadan. These schools were under the full control of the founding missions.
206
Initially, most of the products became catechists since the goal of education then was
evangelization. But with the introduction of money economy whereby trading firms paid
more to students who could read and write, many primary school graduates were made to fill
subordinate positions in the firms.
Then, the demand for them increased through the newly formed colonial administration
which needed them for its own supporting personnel and the railway organisation which was
established in 1896. The government, however, came into education industry with the
establishment of two government primary schools in 1960 in Lagos and Bonny and King’s
College Lagos in 1909. It should be noted that by 1900, three secondary schools were
operating, CMS Grammar School, Lagos (1859); the predecessor of St. Gregory’s College,
Lagos (1878); and the Methodist Boys’ High School, Lagos (1878).
The government’s attempt at monitoring school programmes in West Africa was first
noticeable with the promulgation of Education Ordinances in 1882. The ordinances then
covered grant aids to schools for building and teachers’ salaries, and established an Advisory
Board on Education and an Inspectorate to serve the colonies of Sierra Leone, Gold Coast
(now Ghana). Section 3 of the Education Ordinance of 1882 states that:
An Inspector of Schools was appointed for all British West Africa, spending
most of his time in the Gold Coast with the Lagos Colony contributing one
third of his salary.
Rev. Metcalfe Sunter, a one time Principal of Fourah Bay College was appointed the first
Inspector of Schools for the West African colonies to implement the ordinance.
However, four years later, the colony and protectorate of Lagos become a separately
administered state. A new Education Ordinance became necessary. Thus, the 1887
Education Ordinance became the first original Nigerian Education Ordinance. Section 3 (d)
of that ordinance made provision for school inspection thus:
The schools at all time shall be open for inspection by the Inspector, the sub-
inspector or any member of the Board.
Rev. Metealte died in 1892 and was succeeded by Henry Carr who successfully transferred
the control of the school to the Government through the Education Laws.
An Education Department was established in 1890, and a Directorship of Education along
with sub-ordinance post were created in 1906. This is the precursor of the present Ministries
of Education and invariably Inspectorate Services.
ACTIVITY II
1. Briefly discuss the five periods in the evolution of leadership styles that have
influenced school inspection
2. Briefly outline the historical development of inspection in Nigeria.
207
RATIONALE FOR SCHOOL INSPECTION

The Inspector’s Manual (FME, 1001) advanced the following reasons for school inspection:
• Schools are complex social organisations whose core activity – that of educating
people – is a multi-faceted process. Teaching is in itself a quite demanding job that
involves a series of energy-sapping activities. Consequently, teachers often have little
time for self-evaluation or self-training. School-level supervision is, more often than
not, haphazard and infrequent. There is therefore a need for an external agent to help
teachers to assess their work now and again with a view to reinforcing effective
pedagogical methods and proposing appropriate remedial action where professional
lapses have been observed.
• In some parts of the country, schools are still staffed by poorly-trained and
incompetent teachers whose retention on the job may be owing to some factors other
than the expectation of their improvement on the job. As the head teacher may be
unable to help them professionally or may even be unwilling to expose their
incompetence, inspections often fill this need.
• Parents and school proprietors often yearn for external reports to supplement the self-
congratulatory ones with which schools tend to supply them through such channels as
letters, school magazines or speech days. It is inspection reports that meet this
expectation by giving objective information about the strengths and weaknesses of a
school and suggesting ways in which identified weaknesses can be removed.
• School inspection is a statutory requirement. First, the National Policy on Education
(3rd Edition 1998) explicitly states that the Federal, State and Local Government will
collaborate in ‘monitoring and maintaining minimum standards at all levels of
education below the tertiary level’. (Section 103). It also goes on to elaborate on the
goals of the inspectorate services and the functions of inspectors (sections 104 to
107). But what lends legal force to current inspection practices and makes them
mandatory is Decree 16 of 1985 which is titled, “Education (National Minimum
Standards and Establishment of Institutions) Decree”. Part II, Section 15 of this law
states as follows:
(a) It shall be the duty of the appropriate authority to keep himself or itself
informed of the nature of (a) the instruction given at approved institutions to
persons attending courses of training; and
(b) The examinations as a result of which approved qualifications are attained and
appropriate certificates are awarded; and for the purpose of performing that
duty, the appropriate authority may appoint inspectors to visit institutions or to
oversee such examinations”.
• Reports arising from school inspections make it possible for the quality of education
offered in one school and the standard attained to be compared with the quality and
standard in a similar school elsewhere in the country.
208
Other reasons for inspecting schools include:

• Inspections reveal the strength and weaknesses of a school with a view to:
- improving teaching and learning
- assisting in the development of needed teaching competencies.
• It examines continuously school instructional goals and assess teachers’ performances
in meeting such goals.
• It helps interpret school programme to the community.
• Finally, the Ministry of Education and the teachers are linked through Inspection
visits.
THE ROLE EXPECTATIONS OF AN INSPECTOR OF EDUCATION

Role expectation can be described as what is expected of one as a result of ones career or
profession or the set of behaviours heaved on one as a result of ones calling
Getzels et al was quoted as saying that “a role has certain normative rights and duties, which
we may call role expectations. When the role incumbent puts these rights and duties into
effect, he/she is said to be performing in his/her role. The expectations define what the actor,
whoever he/she may be, should not do under various circumstances while occupying the
particular role in the social system.” In short, role expectations of a profession could be said
to be synonymous with ethics of that profession.
Briefly, let us examine what our rights and duties are as inspectors of Education on one hand
and what should we or should we not do under various circumstances on the other;
The then Western Nigeria Education Laws (cap 34), for example says, that an inspector may
be required to perform all or any of the following functions:-
(a) provide the Minister with a knowledge of institutions and their potentialities and with
expert views on educational matters;
(b) assess and report on the efficiency of an institution by inspection;
(c) offer all possible assistance to teachers in maintaining educational progress;
(d) supervise, assess and report on the arrangements for the training of teachers;
(e) maintain a thorough knowledge of educational developments through study, research
and travel and advance educational progress by the compilation of pamphlets and
handbooks on general or particular aspects of education;
(f) establish and maintain relations with local and national industrial and commercial
enterprises and professional bodies so as to enable the Minister to secure training
schemes suitable in type and volume to their needs.
An Inspector may in addition to the functions enumerated above be required to perform any
function which the Governor may from time to time specify.
209
Within the duties which an Inspector is legally authorized to perform, he should, among other
things:-
(i) be objective in his assessment of teaching-learning environment and related
contributory factors.
(ii) be polite, civil and humble;
(iii) regard and treat teachers as colleagues;
(iv) hold conferences with classroom teachers with a view to exchanging ideas with them
and enhancing their out-puts;
(v) have a sound knowledge of his subject(s) and be current. This means that he must
continue to learn his subject(s)
(vi) respect other people’s point of views;
(vii) learn to keep official secrets secret;
Furthermore, an Inspector should not:-

(i) dress shabbily
(ii) falsify educational data or report
(iii) be bossy, dictatorial, oppressive, ego-centric, self-conceited etc.
(iv) smoke during the course of performance of his duties or drink beer during official
hours. He should not be known to be a drunkard.
(v) pub-crawl
(vi) hob-nob with female students and teachers.
Let us note that the list of what an Inspector should or should not do is not exhaustive. In
summary, he/she should be an officer who knows what decency means. He/She should not be
mean. Rather, he/she should be one who knows the import of dignity and integrity.
The effective inspector must therefore be friendly but at the same time form. He must give
his/her views frankly no matter whose ox is gored. But he should be aware that frank
views could indeed and should be expressed in a positive, constructive and sympathetic
manner. He/she must realise that his/her relationship with the schools are essentially human
relationships with individuals. His/her success, therefore, depends as much as his/her ability
to develop good report with the educational forces in his/her area as it does on his/her
professional knowledge and experience. Yet in developing this report, the inspector must
ensure at all times, that he/she does not compromise his/her conscience on the altar of
friendship or the ephemeral filthy lucre. He/she must therefore be a person of transparent
honesty giving his/her advice or writing his/her report without fear or favour.
There is no gainsaying the fact that to be an inspector entails the making of a little sacrifice
here and there. The call to duty demands this from every professional man or woman and
hence the above role expectations.
210
Perception of Inspector’s Role:

In the educational system, the inspector occupies a position which have rights and duties
attached to it. It therefore follows that the occupier of this position will be judged by a
standard while performing his/her role. The standard by which the inspector will be judged
and upon which the success or failure of the inspector or supervisor is based depends on the
pattern of behaviour which the teachers with whom the inspector of education interacts
expect from him as well as the action or reaction which the Inspector himself expects from
the teachers. Sweltser remarked that:
(“The satisfaction of teachers with the school system depends on the extend to
which they perceive the role of their Inspectors/Supervisors meet their
expectation”)
In the past, Inspectors of Education in Nigeria carried out their functions in a way that earned
them all sorts of uncomplimentary names. To the school proprietors, especially the teachers,
Inspectors of Education were ‘tin-gods, omniscient, and sacrosanct, distant authoritarian
cousins in the family of educators, conscious cynics, pontifical, snoopervisors, with hunters
who came to school to harass, bully and terrorize teachers. This image of Inspectors has
lingered on till today.
It is often assumed by Inspectors of Education that they have superior knowledge in certain
respects to that of the teachers. The Inspector’s emphasis is placed upon ensuring that laid
down rules and regulations are obeyed and existing standards are maintained. This is usually
done through correcting what has not been properly or correctly done. It also implies that
attention has to be focused upon the teachers’ weaknesses which must be pointed out without
necessarily indicating how to improve the weaknesses observed or done in a dictatorial
manner. It involves telling the person what to do and how to do it. If the person being
inspected runs foul of the law, he/she may be reprimanded by the Inspector, fired by the
Inspector or by a higher boss on the recommendation of the inspector.
To one school thought inspection has to be teacher oriented and it involves according to
Lovell and Wile (1975) –
“telling, explaining, showing, enforcing, rating and rewarding. Little concern

for feelings, attitudes and motivations of teachers was expressed”.
To this extent, Inspectors of Education who in their relationships and interaction with
teachers and the public at large exhibit no respect and or consideration for those they deal
with attract negative feelings to the profession.
What the situation should be

Today, inspection duties have been enlarged to provide guidance to teachers for the benefit of
the learners. This is so probably because attention is now focused mainly on the child rather
than on the teacher. The new philosophy is child centred. As a result of the huge government
commitment on education and societal expectations, growth and development of the nation,
211
inspection of schools is still being carried out but teachers are now, more than ever before,
regarded as equals (if not superior) colleagues. A more sympathetic attitude is now adopted
by inspectors of education to point out mistakes committed by teachers as indeed any other
person and to advise the latter on what to do and how such a correction should be made.
In the theories of leadership, motivation and communication have also influenced the
development of supervision by pointing out elements which could be used by supervisors to
bring about instructional and administrative improvement in schools. According to Wile and
Lovell, skill in evaluation, skill in group process, skill in human relations are very important
skills which are required in supervision and which must be acquired by educational
supervisors. An important purpose of supervision is to help teachers to learn what their
problems are and to seek the best method of solving them whether as individuals or in
groups.
The supervisor, as far as supervision is concerned, is presumed to be a leader who should
perform an important supervisory function. For a good leader to be able to perform his duties
satisfactorily, efficiently and effectively, he should possess either naturally or through
training salient leadership qualities such as sympathy, initiative, tact, firmness,
resourcefulness, open mindedness, honesty, humility, creativity and benevolence. He must be
democratic, must take note of his society, nature of man and must also ensure that the needs
of the individuals are taken into consideration in the process of decision – making (as the
needs of the school and those of the individuals may not be congruent).
A good supervisor must inspire confidence, seek to guide by means of persuasion. He must
be more knowledgeable than his professional colleagues in the classroom, must be a patient
listener and must avoid jumping into hasty conclusions. He must be pain staking and frank in
expressing his views and develop good rapport with his colleagues. Therefore the inspector
must be such that understands the people he supervises and be able to get the best out of
them. The supervisor must be able to control situations and people in order to achieve the
task or objective in which a group effort is involved. A supervisor, should in cooperation with
the group he supervises, be able to do the following things, especially in the educational
enterprise:-
(a) define what the task, goals and purposes of the school should be;
(b) help the school to achieve the tasks, goals and purposes that have been defined;
(c) help to maintain his school by assisting to provide for the school, teachers and
students needs.
The effective inspector should arm himself with the theory and practice of human relations,
maintaining a low profile in respect of his status and authority. He must realise that his
relationships with the schools are essentially human relationships with individuals not with
inanimate buildings and materials. His success, therefore, depends as much on his ability to
develop good rapport with educational forces in his area as it does on his professional
knowledge and experience.
Vigilante (1969) postulates that leadership problems, notably resistance to change at the
school – inspector level, generally occur mainly because the attitude balance, in the school –
212
inspector, has been disturbed. As educators, we frequently take note of administrative

disturbances as we work with teachers and principals. This situation is not absolutely
surprising, although by our nature, approach, and behaviour as professionals in our own right,
we can work to keep such disturbances, occurring during the school inspection operations at
the barest minimum. Let us therefore try to define a balanced relationship between teacher –
inspector. The ideal optimum balance in the teacher – inspector relationship is one of mutual
respect. An attitude balance based on mutual respect exists only when each of the two
incumbents is respected and encouraged to practice and pursue the satisfactions of his
position until that pursuit infringes on the right of others.
The crucial consideration involved in this type of relationship is the mutual appreciation of
the worth of each other. Inherent in this type of relationship are an awareness of role
definition, leadership skills, status, intellectual honesty, communication skills, empathy and
other human and personality dynamics. These human relations tools equip the inspector to
maintain the needed attitude balance in his working relationship with the school as a change
agent.
We shall conclude this section on who the Inspector should be with the views of Aiyepeku
(1987) that
“the inspector is ideally the teacher’s friend, adviser, guide, professional

colleague, and consultant. His primary interest should be to assist teachers
to do their work better and, thereby improve the standard of teaching and
learning. His concern should be for better education for children and how to
help teachers to achieve that objective. He should not pretend to know
everything and should, in fact, let the teacher realize that inspectors too are
not perfect. The modern inspector does not, therefore, force the teacher to
accept every advice as gospel truth but should be willing when the occasion
arises to learn from the teacher who may be practicing a method the
inspector had never before seen …”
The Challenges of School Inspection

According to the Inspector’s Manual (FME, 2001) inspectors are faced with many challenges
occasioned by contemporary situations in education and the larger society. Both situations, it
was observed are similar, complementary and influence the quality of instruction directly and
indirectly at the same time. Because of the similarity of the two situations and their
relationship, their impact on the teaching – learning processes is tremendous. Therefore, it
takes the full commitment, devotion and dedication of an inspector to square up to these
challenges. The major of these challenges are:-
(a) Improving the quality of instruction for both formal and non-formal education
The challenge here relates to what the inspector should do to assist the teacher.
The inspector should encourage the teacher to:
• understand his subject-matter very well;
213
• always read intensively and extensively;

• always prepare adequately for lessons;
• make good and generous use of teaching aids;
• evaluate every lesson before it is concluded;
• give follow-up activities or assignments to students at the end of each lesson;
• give written tests periodically;
• mark and grade assignments and tests promptly and objectively;
• individualise instruction as much as possible;
• give students ample opportunity to ask questions during the lesson;
• make lessons interesting, stimulating and enjoyable; and
• communicate in a simple, clear and effective manner during lesson presentation.
(b) Enhancing inter-personal relationship between inspectors and

teachers/instructors; and between the teacher and the students.
Inspectors are expected to:-
• be warm and friendly to teachers;
• accept teachers as their professional colleagues and not as subordinates or
inferiors;
• encourage discussions with teachers;
• assist teachers where they go wrong;
• avoid harassment or intimidation of teachers;
• be fair, firm, open and transparent in their dealings with teachers;
• encourage teachers to be role models to their students;
• encourage teachers to assist their students to achieve their goals;
• counsel teachers to develop a cordial relationship with their students;
• advise teachers to avoid instilling fears in their students; and
• advise teachers to deal with students, gently decently and maturely.
(c) Enhancing the School Climate

Inspectors are expected to:
● assist the school in developing workable rules and regulations for staff and
students;
● encourage the school to enforce its rules and regulations without fear or
favour;
214
● assist the school to ensure sanctity of sanctions against violators of its rules
and regulations;
● assist the school to promote unity and peace among staff and students;
● encourage the school to establish social, cultural and professional clubs and
societies for staff and students;
● encourage transparency and accountability among the staff, students and
management; and
● insist on the right of the school authority to demand obedience and respect
from staff and students.
(d) Helping teachers to develop a better self-concept
Inspectors should be able to:-
● encourage teachers to develop a full mastery of their teaching subject;
● assist teachers in cultivating a culture of reading;
● encourage teachers to accept teaching as a profession devoted to human
resource development and nation building;
● assist teachers to develop a sense of positive self image;
● admonish teachers always to prepare adequately for their lessons;
● encourage teachers to be satisfied with whatever they are able to acquire
through legitimate means;
● encourage teachers to develop only reasonable aspirations;
● advise teachers to identify with suitable role models.
CURRENT TRENDS IN INSPECTORATE SERVICES

Inspection of schools during the colonial era and the immediate past (when schools were
inspected by catechists, clergies, local assistants and administrative assistants) which was
teacher-centred is now giving way to supervision by subject-specialists and is geared towards
the totality of teaching-learning environment. Thus, traditional supervision, centred on the
teacher and the classroom situation, was based on the mis-conception that teachers, being
under-trained, needed constant direction and training. It is not funny then, that inspectors of
old were used to jumping through windows into classrooms, parking their cars a distance to
the school and taking the school community by surprise; harassing and terrorizing the
teachers and hiring and dismissing teachers on the spot. They seemed to hold a sword of
Damocles on the teachers and inspection then was unsystematic and inadequate. Modern
supervision is seen as a cooperative service that is primarily concerned with identifying and
solving professional problem. Rather than focusing attention on the teacher and the classroom
situation, attention is focused on the totality of the teaching-learning situation. The new trend
is away from supervision as super-inspection and super-rating and towards the newer
concepts of supervision as providing cooperative services, consultation, and in-service
215
education. Burton and Brueckner (1955), summarizes six major points in comparing
traditional and modern practices in school supervision. They said that traditional supervision
consisted largely of inspection of the teacher, was poorly planned, authoritarian and usually
by one person. Modern supervision, in sharp contrast, is based on research and analysis of the
total teaching-learning environment and its many functions and usually carried out by many
specialist-individuals over a period of time. Modern supervision is objective, systematic,
democratic, creative, growth-centred and productive, and accentuates the spirit of inquiring
by emphasizing experimentations and continuous evaluation. Democratic principles do
control supervision and evaluation in school. In fact the main objective of all types of
inspection is the improvement of instruction (Quality Control) and general school operations.
Most students of organisation improvement argue that operations activities and other
improvement-related strategies in an organisation are better developed from within than from
without. They contend that to improve performance in an institution, one needs to identify
with, become part of, get involved in the aspirations and problems of the institution and then
carefully and systematically begin to influence and change operations in the system (Bennin
1969, Bechard 1969). In the same way, school inspection should start with the inspector
being seen as a friend and colleague rather than as a Ministry official who has come to
criticize and condemn. By so doing post-inspection recommendations will be implemented by
the school with ease and without any misgiving. Equally implicit in the above trend is the
spanning of inspection over several days rather than a few minutes, hours or a day. This
enables the inspector not only to worm into the fabric of the institutions, but also to perceive
and appreciate the merits and problems of the institution from a realistic perspective. The
Federal Government, according to the National Policy on Education, decided that its control
of schools will involve regulating the opening of schools, supervising and inspecting all
schools regularly and ensuring the provision of well qualified teaching staff, and generally
ensuring that all schools follow government approved curricula and conform to the national
policy on Education. To this extent, the relevance of quality control in schools is not in doubt.
Thus, the purpose of the current trends in inspectorate services is to make teachers to be
willing to improve and to become convinced that they can also improve through self-
improvement. To Eye and Netzer, (1965), supervision deals primarily with the achievement
of the appropriate instructional expectation of educational services. On the other hand, Kyte
(1980) submits that inspection or supervision should help teachers to believe that they can
become competent in self criticisms, self-analysis and self-confident in their ability,
capability and professional competence. Thus, supervision is a cooperative service designed
to aid teachers rather than to report about them.
In order to achieve the above, Osinowo (1982) said that inspection/supervision should be
aimed at developing an effective learning process and provide an education which should
constantly suit the changing needs of individual and the purpose for which such an education
has been set up. Akpofure (1974) opines that inspection should not only encourage flexibility
and initiative, but it should also attempt to provide all those connected with the school system
with a constant awareness of where it is going and ways and means of getting there. He went
further to say that inspection visit should enable the educational system fulfill its stated aims
and objectives within the national system.
216
Oral Communication and School Inspection

At times, how we use both spoken and body language affects the way people perceive us and
react to our presence. Respect for people and sensitivity to their feelings and needs are
reflected in the use of language. When communicating to the staff, the following guidelines
should be taken into consideration according to Adeyanju (2002):
1. know your objective: what do you want to achieve? (inform, praise, discipline, etc.);
2. know the receiver (for example, the teacher/learner) and the reason for the
communication (for example, poor examination results);
3. formulate your message, i.e. be clear, specific and understandable by using short
sentences in simple English;
4. be brief, do not include unnecessary information;
5. ensure effective communication: the message must cover question such as why, who,
what, when and where;
6. consider how the message is best communicated: this can be just as essential as the
content;
7. in delivering the message, be aware also of your attitude, behaviour, non-verbal.
communication, gestures and facial expressions;
8. keep in mind that positive feelings and emotions inspire positive attitudes among the
staff and learners;
9. be yourself: show through the message that you respect the staff, trust and accept
them, are interested in them and are willing to help and listen to them;
10. be enthusiastic and inspirational in your communication;
11. listen carefully: an effective communicator must be a good listener;
12. make use of effective feedback; communication is a two-year process, so always ask
questions to determine whether the message has been understood.
ACTIVITY II
1. Discuss the role of an inspector in the school system.
2. What perception of the inspectors do teachers often have and what should it be?
3. Discuss the current tend in school supervision
SCHOOL RECORDS:
Statutory Records can be classified as those school records which by the Education Law must
be kept by every Education Institution for effective and smooth running of the school
administration. Pages 204 to 210 of the then Western Nigeria Education Law (CAP 34)
contain the list of records with schedules of how they are to be kept for the different
categories of schools. A lot more records had been introduced and maintained by Heads of
217
schools which are not contained in the pages of the Education Laws of Western State quoted
above. This is one of the reasons why the education laws should be reviewed and made more
comprehensive.
At every Education Institution (Public or Private) the following records and books must be
kept by the Head of school (Headteacher or Principal) and produced at the request of an
Inspecting Officer. We shall, for clarity purposes, regard the Head of school whether Primary
or Secondary as Headteacher.
(A). Statutory Records

(i) Admission Register:
This is a register of admission, progress and withdrawal of students.
This register contains the following particulars in respect of every student
admitted to the school:-
▬ Admission Number
▬ Name in full (arranged in alphabetical order)
▬ Sex
▬ Name and Address of parent/guardian
▬ Day, month and year of birth
▬ Previous school attended
▬ Last class read
▬ Day, month, year, class of admission
▬ Record of progress
▬ Date of leaving school
▬ Reasons for leaving, etc.
▬ Transfer certificate number
Every entry in the Admission Register shall be hand-written in ink and any
correction shall be made in such a manner that the original entry and the
correction are both clearly distinguishable. The Register must be kept for at
least 15 years after the last entry. It must be safely kept in the Headteacher’s
office. The Inspector must check this record and ensure that all vital
information contained are abundantly supplied.
(ii) Attendance Register:
The attendance register for each class contains the following particulars in
respect of every student whose name is entered in the Admission Register until
each time as the student is deemed to have left the Institution:
▬ Admission number
218
▬ Name in full, surname first in block capitals;

The names of all boys in attendance at the start of the school year to be entered
in blue or black ink in alphabetical order and thereafter the names of all the
girls in red ink.
The Register is designed to show the number of students physically present in

the school day by day, hence the teacher needs to visit the class and not just sit
in the staff room to do the marking. The Register shall be kept at least for 5
years, before destruction. The Inspector needs this document to ascertain the
actual students enrolments in the various classes and the entire school.
(iii) Log Book:
The log book contains records of important events happening in the school. It
is a vital document from which the history of the school can be compiled. It is
always kept under lock and key by the Headteacher. The log book must not be
destroyed. It must be properly guided by the Headteacher. The inspector must
ensure that the Headteacher up – dates this record.
(iv) Visitors Book:
This is a record showing names, addresses of all important visitors to the
school as well as the purpose of the visits. The book is to be kept permanently
in the school. It should be kept in a prominent and accessible place in the
Headteacher’s office. The first evidence to prove that the school was visited is
the visitors book, hence the inspector must endeavour to record his findings in
the school in this book and sign it.
(v) Education Law:
A copy of the Education Law with all regulations made there under and any
amendments thereto must be kept by the Head of School.
(vi) National Policy on Education:
It is compulsory for the Headteacher to purchase and utilise a copy of the
National Policy on Education.
(vii) Inspection Report File:
This is a record containing the reports of visits made to the school by any
inspecting officer of both the Federal and state Ministries of Education. The
Inspector should ensure that the Headteacher takes adequate care and utilize
the Inspection reports. The file is often very useful during follow – up
inspections.
(viii) Corporal Punishment Book:
The Education Law permits only the Headteracher or the teacher authorized
by him to inflict corporal punishment on erring students. When this is done,
proper records of the punishment must be kept. The name of the offender, the
219
date of all such punishments, the nature of offence and the punishment must
be properly documented. The inspector should always check this record to
ensure that justice is fairly carried out in the schools.
(b) Academic Records:

(i) Approved Syllabi for the Terminal Examination and the Scheme of Work
for the various subjects:
The academic programme of the institution is based on the approved syllabus
of the course that is being run. Thus, in a secondary school, the inspector
expects to find a copy of the WAEC/NECO syllabuses for the GCE O/L SSC
Examinations and a copy of the syllabus for the junior secondary school
programme. In a Teacher Training College, you expect a copy of the NTI
syllabus for the Teachers’ Grade II Certificate and the syllabus for the state
papers. Similarly the Primary School headteacher is expected to keep a copy
of the Primary School Syllabus.
The States Ministry of Education usually break down the secondary school
syllabus into various subject schemes of work.
The scheme of work either in the primary, secondary or any other level must
indicate clearly the topic, performance objectives, contents, activities,
instructional materials, evaluation procedure. The Headteacher should
endeavour to see that the schemes of work are clearly understood by each
teacher before writing them out and before the headteacher finally endorses
them. The Inspector should insist that the schemes of work are formed in
advance of each term. This should be copied in the scheme of work sections of
the class diaries.
The inspector needs to ensure that the teachers conform to the dictates of the
scheme of work. The inspector would assess the worth of the teachers and
students vis-à-vis the academic standard attained through this record. He
should encourage teachers to follow the scheme of work.
(ii) Record of Work Book:
Every teacher should record very carefully and briefly in his record of work
book at the end of each week, what he has really taught. The Inspector should
see that such entries are checked and properly endorsed by the Headteacher.
(iii) Lesson Notes:
These can be prepared daily or weekly. In the primary schools, daily lesson
notes are preferred while in the secondary and Teacher Training Colleges, the
teachers prefer weekly lesson notes. The inspector should ensure that lesson
notes contain the following ingredients:-
− Introduction to be varied.
− Aims to be specific and expressed in behavioural terms.
220
− Appropriate teaching aids/apparatus to be used.

− Previous knowledge to be related to the new topic
− Teachers’ and pupils’ activities to be properly graduated.
− Conclusions to be varied.
The Inspector should insist on the lesson notes before he allows any teacher to
teach in the classroom.
(iv) Marks Book:
This is kept by the teacher in respect of each subject handled in each class.
Records from the marks book are used in the compilation of the Continuous
Assessment Record. It is now mandatory for every teacher to keep accurate
marks book for their classes. This should contain records of weekly,
forthrightly, monthly or end-of-term tests written by the students. The
inspector should demand for this record and encourage teachers to update his
record which should form ascertain percentage of the promotion marks.
(v) Continuous Assessment Dossier/Report Sheets:
It is now compulsory for every student in Junior Secondary School 1 – III to
possess a copy of the Continuous Assessment Records, Report Sheets and
Students’ personal files. These are confidential documents which are kept in
the headteacher’s office.
(vi) School Time Table:
This is a record showing the daily activities of the school, class by class and of
their teachers for the week.
The record should show clearly the number of lessons taught daily, period by
period and the names of the teachers handling them. The analysis should
indicate the curriculum and the number of periods allocated to such subjects;
as well as the subjects and number of periods taught by each teacher, in a
week.
This document is very important and the inspector should insist on its
readiness within one week of resumption for the new academic session. It is a
valuable document the inspector would need for Continuous curriculum
overview. The class time table is extracted from the omnibus school time table
in respect of each class. It is usually exhibited in each classroom.
(vii) Lesson Attendance Register:
This is a record kept by the class captain or leader of each subject group
showing the name of students or teacher present or absent from a particular
lesson. This record is usually given to the teacher to sign at the end of each
lesson. The book is designed to curb truancy by both the students and teachers.
The records are usually given to the Headteacher or Assistant to check at the
221
end of school hours daily. This record will help the inspector to identify truant
and non-committed teachers.
(viii) Transfer Certificate:
This is usually in a booklet form. It is issued to students who have cause to
leave the school before getting to the terminal class. The stump of the
certificates issued is always kept in the Headteachers’ Office. A close look at
this record will help the inspector to observe the rate at which students desert
the school. This could be an eye opener to other issues about the school.
(ix) School Leaving Certificates:- viz
(i) Unclaimed Certificates
(ii) S. 75
(iii) Testimonials
(iv) Records of External Examinations and Results
These documents must be well guarded by the Headteacher. They must not be
allowed to get into wrong hands. The Inspector should ensure that these
documents are well kept and protected from damage.
(c) Finance Records:

The school’s accounts books showing every item of income and expenditure must be
checked by the inspector.
(i) Salary and Payment Vouchers:
These are kept in respect of salaries paid to workers and monies paid to people
for services rendered to the school;
(ii) Financial Memoranda and Accounting Procedure for Schools:
This is a document that regulates the accounting system of institutions in the
state whose rules and procedures are to be meticulously observed for proper
disbursement of school funds.
(iii) Records of Last Pay Certificates:
These are issued to teachers transferred by the Teaching Service Commission.
(iv) Auditor’s Report File;
This contains audit reports of the school account by the Audit Section of the
Ministry and External Auditors appointed by the Audit Department.
(v) School Fees Register:
The school bursar must keep a register of school fees paid by the students and
the clearance certificates, issued by the Treasury cash officer confirming
remittance to the Government Account.
222
(vi) Fee Receipt Books:

Issued to students.
(vii) Details of Accounts:
In respect of the Running Cost Grant.
(viii) Others are the Education levy and Development Levy Receipts, Cash book,
fees ledger book, cheques books, bank tellers, Bank statement of account file,
bank reconciliation files and schools approved budget.
The Inspector must check these records so as to ensure that Government funds
are wisely disbursed and adequate records are kept.
(d) Staff Records:
Prominent among the staff records which the inspector must check are:-
(i) Staff time book – used to record the time of arrival and departure of members
of staff. This book is designed to encourage punctuality to work and regularity
at work. It is also designed to check absenteeism on the part of workers.
(Academic or non-academic).
(ii) Staff movement book – This has been designed to monitor the movement of
workers during the official working hours. The State Ministry of Education
had issued at least a copy to all schools in the state.
The inspector must insist that all movements out of the school during the
official hours must be properly recorded.
(iii) Staff confidential report file/APER Forms – Duplicate copies of the special
reports written on teachers and the Annual Performance Evaluation Report
should be kept under lock and key by the Headteacher.
(iv) Staff Files:-
Each member of staff should have personal files. Such files must contain the
record of service, letters of posting and assumption of duties, promotions, and
other documents about that particular worker. Each file should be properly
identified and given appropriate reference numbers.
(v) Staff List:
A list of all the academic and non-academic members of staff showing names,
qualifications with dates, Specialisation, date of first appointment, date of first
appointment, assumption of duty post and adhoc duties must be kept by the
Headteacher.
(e) General Records:

Other general records an inspector should demand from the Headteacher are:-
(i) Parent-Teacher Association minutes Book
223
(ii) Board of Governors minutes book

(iii) Suggestions file and box
(iv) Instruction book/internal circular file
(v) Correspondence files on various subjects
(vi) Students files contain the admission form, progress report sheets, cumulative
record, health record, exact, honour etc.
(vii) A record showing the where about of ex-students (i.e “follow-up record)
(viii) School vital statistics board – This is a large chalkboard directly opposite the
seat of the Headteacher showing the students enrolment, staff particulars, staff
quota and vacancies.
(ix) Library record including the stock list, accession register, borrowers’ register
etc.
(ix) The stock book/inventory of school property – These should be classified as
consumable and non-consumable stock.
(f). The keeping of these records serves several purposes:-

(a) It ensures that the Headteacher keeps strictly to the Education regulations as
enacted by the State Government.
(b) It provided necessary information for the educational development in school
(c) It provides means of assessing progress in education
(d) It provides useful information about the students and staff and
(e) If properly documented, it can be used as history.
As inspectors of education, it is our onerous duty to insist on the proper keeping of
these vital records. We should remain undaunted as any attempt to compromise our
stand is surely going to affect the school administration adversely. We should not
mind the time it would cost and the several visits of erring/defaulting headteachers if
such endeavour would give us the desired result. The inspector should also make
defaulting headteachers realise the penalties attached to non-keeping of these vital
school records. The list of records the inspector would expect the headteacher to keep
will continue to increase with time. Experience on the job, individual style of
administration, of the school, and the abundant use of initiatives will go a long way to
suggest other vital records a headteacher would keep.
224
ACTIVITY IV
1. Of what importance is record keeping in the school?
2. What are statutory records? Name any five and describe how they are kept in the
school.
3. Explain the importance of:
(i) Log Book
(ii) Visitors’ Book
(iii) Education Law; and
(iv) Corporal punishment book.
225
UNIT 2: INSPECTION PROCEDURES
INTRODUCTION:
This unit and others that will follow are as detailed as in the inspections manual (FME, 2001).
You are advised to get yourself a copy.
The concept of educational inspection, as well as the functions of inspectors, has been
explained in an earlier module. The next requirement is to take trainees beyond this
theoretical knowledge. This module will therefore focus on the practical aspects of
inspection by analyzing the various stages of an inspection and examining the skills that
make for an effective inspector. The basic aim is to prepare the inspector for hands-on
training experience.
Three preliminary points need to be made before we get into the text of the module. The first
is that inspection involves a series of inter-related activities. The second is that because of its
interactive nature, inspection demands team work and team spirit. Learning to be a team
player, is, therefore, a sine-qua-non for the acquisition of inspection skills. The third point is
that inspection is, above all else, a human activity. thus even though such issues as: the
teaching – learning atmosphere, infrastructure, data gathering and communication of findings
engage the attention of inspectors during any visit to a school, they must never lose sight of
the fact that what is pivotal to their intervention is the degree to which it can produce a
positive behavioural change in the people involved in the teaching – learning process.
OBJECTIVES:
At the end of this unit, the inspector should be able to:
i. identify the skills required in the discharge of his functions;
ii. recognize the practical aspects of inspection in a step-by-step manner; and
iii. demonstrate how the inspectors’ findings are communicated to the principal
proprietor, the PTA of the school, and the Ministry of Education.
School inspection is generally broken up into three stages:

• pre-inspection;
• inspection; and
• post-inspection
Pre-Inspection Activities
As has been noted earlier on, inspection is a crucial and delicate educational process which
has serious implications for the way in which members of the school community will come to
view their own operations and more importantly, how other key players in the education
enterprise will come to assess the degree to which the school is keeping to the national
standards. In all this, it is the inspector who has the responsibility of passing the informed
226
judgement that provides the basis for other people’s discourse. The inspector, therefore,
cannot afford to do a rushed job. Instead, he has to prepare carefully for every scheduled
visit.
Preparing for an inspection involves four major tasks:

i. assembling data about the school/educational centre to be inspected;
ii. selecting members of the team;
iii. appointing a team leader; and
iv. mobilizing material resources and planning logistics.
Each of these tasks will now be examined in some detail:

i. Collecting Data about the Target School
Information required about the school falls into two parts viz: advanced information
and information to be supplied on the inspectors’ arrival. The advanced information
consists of:
a) a copy of the current time table
b) a copy of the preparation time table;
c) staff – subject analysis;
d) daily routine time table (especially in the case of a boarding school);
e) a list of teaching staff with qualifications, salary grades, experience, length of stay in
the school;
f) a personal time table of each member of staff;
g) a list of staff duties and who carries them out; and
h) a list of all other staff and their duties.
The information to be made available at the time of the inspection should cover:
academic matters, statutory and other records, co-curricular activities, library,
building and accommodation facilities, medical and health, inventories and stores,
student meals, boarding houses, (where it exists) general administration and accounts.
Obviously, the type of school to be inspected will determine the scope of information
to be demanded of the head teacher.
ii Selecting Members of the Inspection Team:
High on the list of preparations that the Federal Inspectorate headquarters makes for
any inspection is selecting a competent team. In handling this assignment, the
selector (usually the director himself in the case of a national inspection) is guided by
the personal qualities, academic and professional qualifications of inspectors.
Ordinarily, only a specialist in a particular subject is selected to inspect, although this
condition need not be insisted upon when the inspection involves a primary or a
nursery school or a non-formal education centre. The experience of each inspector in
227
relation to the teacher (s) handling the subject he is to report upon should also be
considered. The implication of this is that a person should not normally be selected to
inspect a teacher senior to him in the profession.
Two other precautions that are usually taken of are:

a. A person is not allowed to inspect his spouse
b. An inspector is usually excluded from a team visiting a school where he had
previously worked, been a student or which is owned (wholly or partly) or managed
by a relation of his.
An inspector who envisages any conflict of interest that may hinder him in the
discharge of his duties is expected to make this known to the team selector as soon as
the list of inspectors chosen to visit a particular school is published.
Besides subject specialists, each of whom inspects the relevant subject, a secondary
school inspection also requires that inspectors be appointed to examine such aspects
of a school life as: curriculum overview, organisation and administration, co-
curricular activities, boarding house and corporate life (where appropriate, although
the point must be made that even a day school is required to be organised in such a
way that there is in it corporate life to report upon).
A member of the team, designated “Reporting officer” is given the responsibility of
compiling inspectors’ findings at the end of a visit. Sometimes, another officer is
given the task of editing the final report.
iii Appointing a Team Leader
No member of an inspection team is chosen with greater care and circumspection than
the team leader. While the person appointed may not necessarily be the most senior,
he must be someone who, on the basis of cumulative experience, comportment and
other personal qualities, can command the respect of other members of the team and
ensure that “esprit de corps” is maintained throughout the inspection period. Chief
among the personal qualities which a team leader is expected to possess are: tact,
integrity and articulateness. He must be purposeful and inspirational. He must be
skillful in writing.
iv Mobilizing Resources and Planning Logistics:

Responsibility for mobilizing resources and planning the logistics of a national
details such as: quantity of stationery, the number of vehicles, names, qualifications
and stations of participating inspectors are worked out. However, quite crucial is the
role of the coordinating inspector, (based at the headquarters of the state in which the
school scheduled to be inspected is located), specifically in the area of making
contacts with the school and arranging hotel accommodation.
It is to be noted that such items as: laptops, video camera and cassette recorders are
now considered part of the standard equipment that a modern inspector may require to
228
aid his observation. Thus, provision may have to be made for taking along some of
them.
Duties of a Team Leader

Since the team leader is the linchpin of any educational inspection, it is essential, at this
juncture, to take a closer look at his functions.
• It is the duty of a team to take the chair at a pre-inspection meeting which is held on
the day of arrival of inspectors. In the case of a full general or recognition inspection,
this is usually a Sunday in the tradition of the Federal Inspectorate. The host
inspector fixes the time and venue. The purpose of the meeting is to enable the team
leader to take a roll call of inspectors, reassign duties if necessary (to take care of any
absence or late arrival) and ensure that each inspector is well-armed with a dossier on
the school/education centre to be inspected. The team leader also takes the
opportunity of the meeting to emphasise to his colleagues the objectives of the
inspection and to remind them of their obligation to approach their assignments with
objectivity and integrity. Next, he may request the host coordinating inspector to
brief them about the target school.
• It is the duty of the team leader to see to the pooling of all official vehicles available
to the team so that all the inspectors can preferably take off from the same point. On
the first day of a full general or recognition inspection, members of the visitation team
should get to the school before the school assembly starts.
• At a brief familiarization meeting which inspectors should hold with the head teacher
and staff before their work begins, the team leader outlines the purpose of the
visitation and stresses the desire of his team to perform their tasks in such a way that
there will be no disruption to the school routine.
• The team leader holds a stocktaking meeting with the inspectors at the end of the last
lesson on the first day of the visit with a view to finding out what their experiences
have been so far.
• The team leader should constantly monitor members of his team and ensure that each
of them carries out his function in accordance with the principles and norms of
inspection.
• At the review meeting that inspectors hold after an inspection, the team leader also
occupies the chair. There, his main duty is to reconcile differences of opinion,
prevent or diffuse tension which may arise as a result of some inspectors insisting on
ramming their viewpoints down their colleagues’ throat. He helps the group to
achieve a consensus on all the recommendations to be presented to the head teacher,
the school proprietor and the Federal Ministry of Education.
• At the final briefing which the inspectors hold with head teacher and at the subsequent
one with the school proprietor, the team leader acts as spokesman.
229
• It is the responsibility of the team leader to intervene whenever any sharp differences
of opinion arise between a teacher and an inspector. He is the team’s troubleshooter
and lighting conductor.
• Even though the reporting inspector is responsible for putting together moderated
reports handed in by various inspectors, the job of ensuring that the final product is of
high quality is that of the team leader.
• It is also on the team leader’s shoulders that the responsibility for submitting a report
to the Director of Inspectorate on how the visit went rests.
SUMMARY
• In this unit, the four major tasks that precede an inspection have been highlighted.
The criteria used to select an inspection team have also been discussed. Furthermore,
the qualities of effective team leader have also been examined. Similarly the team
leader’s duties have been highlighted.
ACTIVITY III
1. “The success or failure of an education inspection depends on the quality and
capability of team leader.”
2. Discuss four duties of a team leader which demonstrate his pre-eminent role.
230
UNIT 3: INSPECTION
INTRODUCTION:
The Federal Ministry of Education is charged, by law, with the responsibility of enforcing
adherence to minimum educational standards throughout Nigeria. The same law empowers
the Minister to authorize inspectors to pay regular visits to educational institutions below the
tertiary level for the purpose of:
• Identifying the activities that an inspection entails;
• stating the criteria an inspector uses to assess a school;
• discussing the way an inspector should comport himself during a visitation;
• analyzing inspectors’ “code of practice”; and
• conducting a school inspection with precision, confidence and skill.
Since the number of educational institutions which inspectors are required to visit in the
country is so large that inspectors cannot possibly visit all of them, a method of selecting only
a representative sample of each category of schools (primary, secondary, and technical) is
adopted.
Inspection can be broken up into three major activities:
i) observing
ii) counseling
iii) documenting
When inspectors observe any lapses during their visit, they draw the attention of those
concerned to them with a view to bringing about remedies. They are also obliged to present
to the school head, his staff, the proprietor and the Federal Ministry of Education (or
Commissioner of Education in the case of the state inspectors) an accurate picture of their
findings.
The primary aim of inspectors when they pay a formal visit to an educational institution is to
assess it in terms of the following:
a) School climate: here the inspectors’ focus falls on environmental cleanliness, level of
discipline, head teacher/staff relationship, staff/student relationship, student/student
relationship.
b) Curriculum delivery with particular reference to: teacher effectiveness, staff
motivation, learner-teacher interaction, pupil-teacher ratio, availability and use of
teaching aids.
c) Organisational structure – at the classroom level, at the school level, at the boarding
house level (where appropriate).
231
d) Information system: whether data keeping is adequate or not; availability and

effectiveness of channels of communication – between the head and teachers, between
the head and the learners, between the school and parents.
e) The school’s achievements, especially in academics, and also in such co-curricular
areas as sports, drama, cultural activities etc.
f) School/community relationship: what usually emerges from the inspection is a profile
which reflects the areas in which the school is making progress and those in which
deficiencies have been observed. Also,to be highlighted are recommendations on
appropriate remedial measures.
Observation
Whether an inspector is in charge of a particular subject or a specific non-subject aspect of
school community life such as organisation and administration or co-curricular activities, he
has to bring his observation skills into play. It is, therefore, essential that sharpening of
inspectors’ skills in observation should be included in their training programme. Also
relevant is the related skill of drawing an appropriate conclusion from an observation. If, for
instance, several learners are found to be sniggering during a Social Studies lesson in which
the topic: The Dangers of Bribery” is being discussed by a teacher who is in the habit of
starting almost every sentence with “I mean ---”, the inspector will have to be careful not to
jump to some quick conclusions in his assessment of the lesson. Rather, he should carefully
weigh the level of discipline in the classroom against the possible effect on the learners of the
teacher’s mannerism. He should also try to find out whether some of the pupils were
pursuing their own hidden agenda. In any case, his main focus should be on how much of the
subject the learners were able to assimilate.
Classroom Observation:
Of all the various aspects of the activities of a school that come within an inspector’s
purview, none calls for greater caution and tact than classroom observation. After all, the
primary purpose of a school is to transmit knowledge, skills and values and where else does
this activity go on in a more organised fashion and more regularly than in the classroom?
The following are the components of teaching on which an inspector should focus while
assessing the effectiveness of the way a subject is taught in a school:
i) the teacher’s mastery of the subject,
ii) mode of presentation,
iii) ability of the teacher to stimulate and retain learners’ interest,
iv) class participation,
v) use of teaching aids (where applicable).
It is on these criteria that the inspector will base his assessment as to whether the objective of
the lesson has been met or not.
232
Four-Step Method of Instruction

The inspector may supplement his assessment by evaluating the teacher’s performance on the
basis of the “Four-step Method of Instruction” explained below:
Step 1: Preparation
Is there clear evidence of advanced preparation for the lesson on the part of the teacher and
has he developed a receptive and responsive attitude on the part of the learners?
For instance, the teacher should:
a) know the subject matter;
b) show the purpose of the subject being taught;
c) key his instruction to the learning capacity of the students;
d) put the learners at ease;
e) find out what the students already know; and
f) stimulate the learners.
Step II Presentation
This refers to the actual teaching process.
a) the teacher should tell, show and illustrate step-by –step what he wishes the students
to learn
b) he should stress key points
c) he should be clear, thorough and patient.
Step III Application

This refers to the layout stage of teaching. The students should:
a) perform the task;
b) tell and show how the task is performed;
c) explain key points;
d) correct mistakes; and
e) repeat the work until it is clear that they have learnt it.
Step IV Follow-Up
This is the assessment stage of teaching. The teaching should:
a) check frequently and encourage questions;
b) correct errors and re-teach, if necessary;
c) ensure that the students have mastered the subject and can apply it on their own; and
233
d) suggest where and how they can receive further knowledge on the subject.
Overall assessment of the Status of a Subject

Set out in appendix IB are the questions to which an inspector will be seeking appropriate
answers in his attempt to evaluate the quality of teaching of his particular subject. It is to be
noted, however, that the inspector is still required to weigh the answers given against the
background of his own experience and professional knowledge. For instance, if a school
being visited allocates only three periods a week to the teaching of Mathematics in SSI, it is
left for the inspector to pronounce such an allotment adequate or inadequate on the basis of
accepted practice.
The Comportment of an Inspector

Even though during a visitation every inspector should observe decorum, tact and decency,
display of these qualities is particularly required of the inspector while he is observing a
lesson in a classroom. He should position himself where he can see what is going on in
classroom without causing any distraction. This is why, if he chooses to stay in the
classroom during the lesson, he should take his seat at the back of the class before the lesson
starts. Some inspectors choose to stay on the corridor at a point from where they can have
full view of happenings within the classroom.
Wherever the inspector decides to sit, he should normally resist the temptation to interrupt the
lesson even if he notices that the teacher is going astray. Rather, he should confer with the
teacher later at a mutually agreed time and place to discuss with him his observation during
the lesson.
The teacher is given a chance not only to explain his teaching behaviour but also to raise
issues with inspector over whatever innovations may have been suggested to him as an
alternative to what he is used to.
Code of Practice
At this juncture, it is pertinent to identify other qualities which an inspector should possess.
The following is a ten-point code of practice. The inspector should:
i) be knowledgeable and up-to-date with regard to teaching methods and educational
policies, but should not on this account be presumptuous. He should remember that
he is not omniscient;
ii) treat school staff in particular with courtesy and should neither be condescending nor
intimidating; rather should seek to rely on persuasion and not on ridiculing or
embarrassing teachers;
iii) be neat and modest in appearance;
iv) demonstrate integrity, self-control, decorum, punctuality and professional propriety;
v) seek no favours or rewards;
234
vi) be willing to learn new methods of teaching or managing schools or at least should be
prepared to listen to explanations about innovative approaches to pedagogy;
vii) be a reliable team player with a healthy respect for other people’s points of view
however divergent from his own;
viii) be articulate in both oral and written English;
ix) be alert and observant, but communicate his feelings tactfully; and
x) be dignified without being stiff or stuffy.
Counselling:
Unless the observation skills of an inspector are supported with counseling skills, they are
likely to remain dry and unproductive. It is the inspector who, conscious of his role as a
change agent, engages in a productive dialogue with a teacher who has gone astray or the one
who has displayed an exceptional pedagogical ability, that stands the chance of exerting a
positive influence on those professional colleagues and leaving a lasting impression on their
minds. This is why, during an inspection, an inspector may need to arrange several meetings
with specific teachers on a one-to-one basis.
In the case of a weak teacher, such meetings afford the inspector an opportunity to discuss
such issues as: instructional planning, selection or improvisation of instructional materials
and membership of professional bodies. The underlying aim is, of course, to help the teacher
to sharpen his pedagogical skills. The inspector also emphasizes the importance of self-
training and self-direction as a basis of acquiring increased self-confidence.
Teachers may also be advised to obtain regular copies of magazines and journals relating to
their fields of study, to update their knowledge of the activities of appropriate professional
bodies and to get acquainted with innovative changes in other schools.
SUMMARY
• In this unit, the activities that are the ingredients of inspection have been analysed.
The criteria that are used by an inspector to assess a school have been stated. The
qualities that an inspector should possess have also been enumerated in the form of a
ten-point “code of practice”. Details of how an inspection should be conducted have
also been provided.
235
UNIT 4 POST-INSPECTION ACTIVITIES

The inspector of Education is the link between policy makers, providers of education,
practitioners and consumers. Before the policy makers can embark on formulation of new
policies, it is the duty of the Inspectorate Services to provide feedback from the field to
government and policy makers on the working of the existing policies and practices so that
mistakes of the past are not repeated. Such advice would be based on what goes on in the
schools and classrooms. Only the inspector of education can and is empowered by law to
reach down to the learner in a classroom situation to find out how the learner is being taught.
It should, therefore, be self-evident that if any meaningful changes and improvements are to
take place, adequate support must be provided to the inspector so as to enable him perform
his role effectively.
For inspection to be meaningful, the findings of inspectors have to be communicated to the
appropriate bodies for necessary action. One of the effective methods usually employed as
part of post-inspection activities, is THE WRITING OF A REPORT. This and other related
post-inspection activities are discussed below.
OBJECTIVES
At the end of the unit, trainees should be able to:
• explain the rationale behind the meetings which inspectors hold, first among
themselves and then with the school principal and with the proprietor at the end of an
inspection visit;
• describe the conduct of the various post-inspection meetings;
• discuss the reasons for and the format of an interim report;
• outline the reasons for a follow-up inspection; and
• explain the role that inspectors can play in remedying identified deficiencies in
schools.
Post inspection meeting.

This meeting is usually held on the eve of the final day. It is popularly referred to, among
inspectors, as the “Wednesday Night Meeting.” The objectives of the post-inspection
meeting are to:
• review and rationalize the activities of the individual inspectors;
• agree on the recommendations to be made by each inspector and the conclusion by
all;
• ensure that unverified facts are cleared of ambiguities;
• ensure that every member of the team understands the problem of the school so as to
enable the team offer a reasonable, practical, and meaningful advice aimed at
improving the teaching and learning situation at the school; and
236
• prepare the ground for subsequent meetings with the principal and the proprietor of
the school on Thursday and Friday mornings.
The post-inspection meeting provides a forum where each inspector presents his/her
report. This usually happens on a Wednesday night i.e. on the third day of the inspection by
which time it is assumed that every member must have seen enough of the school to form a
reasoned judgment about specific aspects of the institution that was his/her focus. The team
leader chairs this meeting.
The meeting is usually tedious and long and, at times somehow stormy. Each inspector’s
presentation is critically discussed, amended as necessary and final agreement reached on all
points as a correct and true state of affairs in the subject or area covered because at the end of
the day, such findings become the collective responsibility of the team.
There is no need for an inspector to be upset or defensive about such criticisms since they
basically aim at helping the individual to re-examine the recommendation made and establish
their validity. However, where an inspector falls below expectation in this regard, it s the
responsibility of the team leader to ensure that such an inspector is assisted by experienced
member of the team to articulate his/her findings and recommendations flawlessly.
After approval has been given to all reports, each inspector is mandated to produce three neat
copies of the amended report by the team. One of these copies is given to the principal/head
teacher.
Meeting with the Principal

The closing formal meeting with the principal of the school being inspected takes place
usually on the morning of Thursday of the inspection week. The aims of this meeting are to:
• enable each inspector to inform the principal/head teacher about the findings and
recommendations about the teaching subject or the state of an aspect of the school;
• give the principal / head teacher a chance to correct any facts or supply any missing
ones; and
• enable the head teacher start implementing the aspects of the inspectors’
recommendations that fall within his/her delegated powers without waiting for the
report of the inspection.
At the briefing meeting with the principal/head teacher, the team leader ensures at all times
that such briefing sessions are conducted in an atmosphere of mutual respect and cordiality.
The principal / head teacher is encouraged to make and seek clarifications and/or
explanations on any factual point that is inaccurate or misinterpreted or misunderstood. The
meeting, however, should not become a forum for rebuttals and defence as any inspector who
makes any observation, point, or recommendation must be sure of his/her facts borne out of
expertise and professionalism.
Sometimes, it may be necessary to address the staff and the students especially if the
principal / head teacher of the school makes such a request. Should such a situation arise, it
is the responsibility of the team leader to speak on behalf of the team. On such occasion, a
237
tactful team leader should seize the opportunity to commend areas of strength in the school as
well as point out areas that require improvement. However, the team leader needs to be
mindful of his choice of language and not sound didactic, faultfinding and pontifical.
Meeting with the Proprietor

At the end of the inspection, a selected team of inspectors, made up usually of the team
leader, inspectors for organization and administration, curriculum overview, co-curricular
activities or boarding house and corporate life, and the host Co-ordinating Inspector, meets
with the proprietor of the school.
The aims of the meeting are to:
• appraise the proprietor of the team’s findings and the recommendations made;
• give him/her an opportunity to make comments on the inspectors’ findings and
recommendation; and
• ensure that the final report would not contain any surprises to the proprietor.
At this meeting, only important clarifications or errors of fact are made and corrected. It is
not an occasion for negotiation. Unlike the meeting with the Principal / head teacher, where
each inspector briefs the former on his/her area of focus, the team leader alone, guided by the
agreed group report, does the briefing of the proprietor (Federal Ministry of Education, State
Ministry of Education, State Primary/Secondary Education Boards, Private/Voluntary
Agencies, etc.)
The importance of this meeting compels the team leader to make adequate preparations for it.
This means the leader must possess:
• correct and useful information about the school inspected;
• knowledge of the efforts that have been made in the past by the proprietor to improve
the standard of education in the school as well as their immediate plans for the future.
During the meeting, there is need to recognize the proprietor’s past contribution to the growth
and development of the school. Areas of strength should be highlighted and factors which
militate against effective administration, teaching and learning, should also be emphasized.
However, it is equally important for the team leader to note carefully the comments of the
proprietor so that any misconception previously held by the team can be corrected before the
interim and main reports are finalized.
The Interim Report

The perspective from which inspectors monitor school quality is all-embracing, covering
learning, teaching, institutional upkeep. This accountability function is discharged towards
the ministry, keeping both the political head (Minister/Commissioner) and administrative
head (Permanent Secretary/Director) informed about the state of schools, their problems and
their progress. Of even grater importance in enhancing education quality is the inspector’s
advisory role within the school.
238
The advice centres on teaching effectiveness, teaching strategies, curriculum materials,

student evaluation, in-service training and classroom management. From this perspective, the
principal aim is to improve teacher competence and the conditions in the learning
environment.
Aims of an Interim Report

The primary aim of an interim report is to make available to the target audience usually the
principal/head teacher or the Minister/Commissioner – the salient points in the inspector’s
findings with a view to getting him/her to embark immediately on appropriate remedial
action while the comprehensive report is being compiled.
Two types of interim reports are prepared and both derive from either a full general
inspection or a recognition inspection. The interim report is forwarded to the proprietor, the
school head and the Minister/Commissioner within the three weeks after the completion of
the inspection. The copies of the detailed report are sent to the same persons six weeks after.
The interim report should not be longer than ten pages of A4 paper and conveys the essential
findings and recommendations of the inspecting team.
Summary of Post-Inspection Activities

• Wednesday Night: A meeting of the team of inspectors to review the activities of the
individual inspectors and agree on recommendations to be made.
• Thursday Morning: Inspectors hold a briefing session with the principal/head teacher.
• Thursday Afternoon and Evening: Inspectors polish up their reports and submit them
to the reporting inspector for collation.
• Friday Morning: The team leader, the Co-ordinating inspector and some designated
inspectors hold a briefing session with school proprietor and his/her advisers.
Follow –Up Inspection

One year after a full general inspection is carried out in a school, Federal inspectors normally
pay a follow-up visit to that school.
A follow-up inspection is aimed at:

• providing the inspectors an opportunity to see the extent to which recommendations
made during the full general inspection have been implemented; and
• obtaining feedback from the principal/head teacher about whatever difficulties he may
have encountered in the course of implementing the recommendations.
During this kind of inspection, inspectors, who usually come in much smaller numbers, hold
consultations with the staff on observations made on their work.
This type of inspection tends to be restricted to officers drawn from the nearest inspectorate
office to the school.
239
Actions to Alleviate Identified Deficiencies

The inspector, among other things, is a resource person. For this reason, the inspector should
demonstrate up-to-date knowledge in his/her area of specialization, show awareness of recent
trends in educational research and technology that are related to his/her subject areas, and be
able to apply valid knowledge to the solution of instructional problems. In other words, the
inspector must not only have mastery of his subject, but must also be current with trends in
the educational system. This means that a thorough grasp of the National Policy on
Education is a sine qua non for the inspector, who, among others, should have at his/her
fingertips, the knowledge of the structure and content of the current national curricula. Based
on these assumptions, inspectors could contribute to the remedying of identified deficiencies
in a school. For such efforts to be successful, some conditions must be met.
• Inspectors should be provided with legal power, the material and funds to plan and
implement their own modest in-service activities for teachers. Such activities should
have objectives related to actual current problems in the school as defined by the
school heads and the inspectors and could as well include formal training sessions at
the school, zonal and district levels, informal discussions and workshops at all these
levels.
• The reports of inspectors or any other information on the needs and constraints faced
by the teaching staff are used as a basis for addressing training needs accurately and
systematically. Other approaches that inspectors should adopt are stated below:
• They arrange meetings with heads of subject departments to discuss perceptions of
work seen and other relevant matters.
• They assist school heads with the interpretation and implementation of policies and
implementation of school’s own supervision programme.
• They advise school staff on curricular matters and disseminate information on good
practice that builds on a school’s current strengths and capabilities.
• They facilitate the production and distribution of syllabi, teachers’ guides, and
materials on school management.
• They apply their professional knowledge and expertise to focus on pertinent or topical
educational issues of the nation, and through publications and learned journals,
stimulate discussions on them.
• They make more widely known any innovative or progressive educational theory,
practice or skill which they may have come across in the course of their work.
• They see that required human and material resources are available to schools in timely
manner, depending on availability.
• They are receptive to and collect training needs of school heads, teachers, and other
staff as expressed at the school level.
• They organize in-service, school –based, training workshops and seminars for
principals/head teachers and teachers in response to expressed identified needs.
240
• They highlight infrastructural deficiencies, especially those that impede teaching-

learning activities.
Although the actual implementation of recommendations is outside the scope of the
inspector’s responsibility, it is evident that the whole exercise of inspection will come to
nothing, and amount to a huge waste of resources if the deficiencies highlighted are not met
with prompt remedial action.. It has to be emphasized that the reports of inspectors have
legal stamp, and should therefore, be studied carefully and implemented.
One duty inspectors owe all stakeholders in education is to ensure that they pay follow-up
visits to schools. In this way, they will be able to assess the degree of response made to their
recommendations.
In addition, some of the activities mentioned above will be found most useful and
appropriate.
SUMMARY
• This module has comprehensively explained the various stages and procedures
involved in school inspection. It has shown that the success and effectiveness of
school inspection depends largely on each member of the team performing his
assignments at the right time. The importance of communicating the findings or
inspectors to the school head, the proprietor and other relevant stakeholders has also
been highlighted.
241
APPENDIX A
CLASSROOM OBSERVATION SHEET
Name of School…………………………………………………………………………………
Name of Teacher………………………………………………………………………………..
Date of Joining the School……………………………………………………………………..
Length of service as a Teacher…………………………………………………………………
Date………………………………….Time/Period…………………………………………….
Highest Qualification……………………………………Date(s)……………………………..
Class……………………………No. in Class………………………………………………….
No. Present at Lesson…………………………Workload……………………………………..
Topic……………………………………………………………………………………………
Mastery of Subject……………………………………………………………………………..
Presentation…………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Behavioural Attitude………………………………………………………………….……….
Ability to stimulate and sustain interest……………………………………………………….
Methodology…………………………………………………………………………………....
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Class Participation……………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
List of Teaching Aids (Where applicable)……………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Classes Taught
JSSI……………………JSSIII……………………………….SSII……………….…………..
JSSII………………………SSI…………………………… SSIII……………………………..
242
TEACHING PRESENTATION RECOMMENDATIONS

- PRESENTATION
- Does the teacher use a lesson plan?
- Use of teaching aids
- Quality of communication
- Flow of thought/mannerism
- Degree of participation of students in the lesson
- use of questioning to induce and sustain
students’ attention
- Chalk-board practice-writing & summary
- Knowledge of the subject
STUDENTS’ WRITTEN WORK RECOMMENDATION
- Are notes given?
- Are students’ notes checked? How often?
- Are the note books standard ones?
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION RECOMMENDATION
- Do the teachers of this subject have a recognized
professional body?
- How many of them are members of this body?
COMMENTS:…………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
SUMMARY OF MAIN RECOMMENDATIONS……………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………… ………
……………………………………………………………………………………………
______________________________ ______________
Signature/Name of Reporting Officer Date
243
APPENDIX B
OBSERVATION SHEET FOR TEACHING
Name of Teacher…………………………………..Date………………….Time…………….
Class……………..No. in Class………….……..No Present at Lesson………………………
Topic/Objective of Lesson…………………………………………………………………….
Mastery of Subject…………………………………………………………………………….
Presentation……………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Behavioural Attitude…………………………………………………………………………..
Ability to Stimulate and sustain interest……………………………………………………….
Methodology…………………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Class Participation:…………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Use of Teaching Aids (Where Applicable):……………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Was of Objective of the Lesson Achieved?…………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Open appraisal (Free Comments on Observations):…………………………………………...
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Recommendations:…………………………………………………………………………….
______________________________ ______________
244
TEACHER’S PROFILE
Name:……………………………………………..Subject……………………………………
Present Rank……………………………………..Date:………………………………………
Date of joining the school:……………………………………………………………………..
Length of service as a Teacher:………………………………………………………………...
Qualification with Dates:…………………………Date:………..……………………………
….…………………Date:………..……………………………
……………………Date:………..…………………………….
……………………Date:………..……………………………
……………………Date:………..……………………………
Workload
The total number of periods per subject/week
JSS I
JSS II
JSS II
SS I
SS II
SS III
Total number of periods per week
Observations:…………………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Recommendations:……………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
______________________________ ______________
245
APPENDIX C
Teacher Classroom Performance Rating Scale
Please observe in full a classroom lesson and rate the teacher’s performance on each
characteristic listed below on a 5-point scale by ticking the appropriate column.
5 = Very Good, 4 = Good, 3 = Average, 2 = Poor, 1 = Very Poor
School:-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Teacher:---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class:------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject:---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
S/N Characteristics 1 2 3 4 5
1. Teacher’s Personality
a. Liveliness
b Friendliness
c Neatness
d Composure
2. Classroom Management
a. Cordiality of teacher – pupil relations
b. Alertness to pupil’s problems
c. Individual attention to pupils
d. Maintenance of discipline
e. Observance of safety precautions
3. Teaching Procedure
a. Mastery and accuracy of subject content
b. Logical presentation of lesson content
c. Appropriate use of chalkboard
d. Appropriateness of questioning techniques
e. Command of language
f. Adequate provision of teaching aids
g. Effective and efficient use of teaching aids
246
h. Attractiveness and creativeness of teaching aids

i. Coverage of lesson within time allotted
j. Pupil participation
k. Evaluation of the understanding of pupils
Overall score points …………………………..
Grade ………………………………………….
Interpretation of Grades
A - 70% - 100% - Excellent
B - 69% - 60% - V. good
C. - 59% - 50% - Good
D - 49% - 40% - Average
E - 39% - 30% - Week pass
F - 29% - 0% - Fail
247
APPENDIX D
FULL GENERAL INSPECTION

Background Information.
1. Type of School/College/Centre-------------------------------------------------------------
2. Year Established:-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Name of School/College/Centre:-----------------------------------------------------------
4. Location---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5. Zone/Division/Ward-------------------------------------------------------------------------
6. Proprietorship---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7. Board of Governors/Private Schools or Advisory Board (Public Schools)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8. Headteacher/Principal/Organizer----------------------------------------------------------
9. Date of Inspection/Monitoring------------------------------------------------------------
10. Type of Inspection/Monitoring------------------------------------------------------------
11. Date and type of last Inspection/Monitoring--------------------------------------------
12. Names of Inspectors and Areas of Specialization--------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
13. Academic Departments/Units-------------------------------------------------------------
14. Academic Staff
(a) Teacher/Instructor/Tutors: (No., qualifications, experience, salary grade,
length of time at present school, area of specialization and subject taught and
period allocation) (See appendix for details)
(i) Full Time
(ii) Part time/corpers
(b) Area of shortage:----------------------------------------------------------------
(c) Area of surplus:-----------------------------------------------------------------
(d) Teacher/pupil ratio:------------------------------------------------------------
(e) Teacher/subject ratio:----------------------------------------------------------
(f) Grade Teacher/Pupils ratio:----------------------------------------------------
(g) Staff duties:---------------------------------------------------------------------
248
(h) Rationale for Staff deployment, especially subject specialities:---------

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
15. Support Staff
(i) Support staff (admin, clerical, attendants, cooks etc.)
(j) Number:-------------------------------------------------------------------------
(k) Shortage:------------------------------------------------------------------------
(l) Surplus:-------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Comment on the effectiveness of deployment, supervision and
performance of the above------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
16. Student Population

(a) JSS I -----------------------JSS II--------------------JSS III-----------------
(b) SS I -----------------------SSII ---------------SS III-----------------
(c) Boarders:----------------------------------Day:--------------------------------
(d) Year/Stream (in case of non-formal education)---------------------------
Comment on enrolment and attendance (check class registers)--------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
17. Time Table

(m) General Time Table:
(n) Individual Teachers’ Time Table:
(o) Period Allocation for each subject------------------------------------------
(p) Etc.
14. Curriculum/Syllabus/Programme
(q) Subject offered at JSS level:-------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(r) Subject offered at SS Level--------------------------------------------------
249
(s) Subject offered at non-formal education centre----------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Is the curriculum/programme balanced? Yes/No
15. Academic Information

(t) A current syllabus for each subject
(u) Schemes of work for each subject
(v) A copy of the JSS and SSS syllabi
(w) A list of current textbooks for each form
(x) A list of any additional class sets for each form
(y) A list of visual aids in each subject
16. Syllabus Coverage

Tick as appropriate
(z) Satisfactory
(aa) Unsatisfactory
Comments……………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………….
17. Co-Curriculum Activities:

(bb) Club/associations/societies:
List and indicate functional ones:---------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(cc) Games/sports/recreational facilities:
List facilities available:--------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(dd) Does the school hold assembly? Yes/No
(ee) Frequency of staff meeting held per term:----------------------------------
(ff) Number of PTA meeting held per term:-------------------------------------
250
(gg) Does the school receive any outside contributions Yes/No

If yes, specify:-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Comments:------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
22. General Information
School prospectors/brochures, etc.
18. Essential School Records
S/N Records Available Not Well Not
Available Kept Well
Kept
(a) Statutory Records
i. Admission Progress and Withdrawal registers
ii. Class Attendance Registers
iii. Diaries and record of Work Books
iv. A copy of Education Law
v. Log book
vi. A copy of National Policy on Education
vii. Punishment and Reward books
Viii School Leaving Certificate record book
ix. Transfer Certificate Booklet
x. Visitors Book
xi. School Rules and Regulations
(b) Other Records
i. Instruction from Board of Governors/Advisory
Council
ii. Ministry circular files
iii. Staff meeting minutes book
iv. Committee minutes book
v. Continuous assessment dossier and report sheet
vi. External examination results and analysis for the last
251
three years (where applicable)

vii. Previous inspection reports
Viii. Master time table and analysis
ix. Time book
x. Movement book
xi. Principal’s annual report (speech days)
xii. Financial records/Account Books
xiii. Notice book
xiv. Announcements book
xv. Duty - book teacher/prefect
xvi. Lesson notes/plans
xvii. Any other records.
Comments:--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
24. Textbooks and other Teaching Aids
(a) List of current textbooks for each class

(b) List of any additional texts for each class
(c) Teachers’ copies for each class:-------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(d) Reference/Library copies:--------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(e) Availability of teaching aids/improvisation (list them):---------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
25. Physical Facilities
(a) No. of classrooms and streams:-------------------------------------------------------
(b) Staff room--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(c) What is their condition?----------------------------------------------------------------
(d) General sanitation of the school:------------------------------------------------------
(e) Furniture Situation:---------------------------------------------------------------------
252
(f) Chalkboards/Ceiling/Flooring:---------------------------------------------------------
(g) Laboratories/Workshops: their availability and equipment therein:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(h) Hostel accommodation and bedding:-------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(i) Staff quarters:---------------------------------------------------------------------------
(j) Store/Kitchen/Dinning Hall/Exam. Hall, etc.: their condition and facilities
Available in them:----------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(k) Toilets: (No. and condition and whether separate ones for boys and girls or not
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(l) Electricity supply:-----------------------------------------------------------------------
(m) Light, water supply, school environment and drainage (comment in water
supply:-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
26. Boarding House and Dinning Hall (where applicable)
(a) Boarding house rules
(b) Boarding house programme
(c) Laundry arrangements
(d) Daily menu and daily/weekly food supply lists and cost
(e) Where food is stored; delivery system of food supply
(f) List of House Maters/Mistresses and their duties
(g) Matrons/boarding house staff and their duties.
27. Accounts and Stores

(a) Total amount collected:----------------------------------------------------------------
(b) Source------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(c) Amount expended:---------------------------------------------------------------------
(d) Evidence of security for cash/physical stores, record keeping principles and
procedures-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(e) Inventory, stores, vouchers, and records---------------------------------------------
253
(f) Auditors’ reports------------------------------------------------------------------------
28. Library
(a) Is library facilities available?----------------------------------------------------------
(b) Library Master:--------------------------------------------------------------------------
(c) Approximate number of books:--------------------------------------------------------
Textbooks:-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Novels and story books:--------------------------------------------------------------
Plays and poetry:----------------------------------------------------------------------
Newspaper/magazines:----------------------------------------------------------------
References:-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
29. Tone of the School

Comment:-
(a) Relationship between the school authorities and staff----------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(b) Among members of staff and students:----------------------------------------------
(c) Records of students’ performances in both Internal and External Exams.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
30. Suggestions/observations/recommendations
Assessing Leadership Effectiveness
Most full general inspection formats tend to omit this very important factor which sets
the tone and determines the total effectiveness of the school and what it can achieve.
We, therefore, suggest that it should not be assumed but actually evaluated. In order
to do so, it is important to bear the following in mind:
1. personal characteristics of the headteacher

2. nature of his responsibilities, e.g. the school population, staff size etc.
3. personal characteristics of his subordinates.
4. In the actual assessment, the following criteria may be applied:
254
Criteria for Assessing Headteacher/Principal

S/No Qualities Excellent Good Fair Poo
r
1. Readiness for responsibility
2. Ability to delegate responsibilities
appropriately
3. Maturity
4. Interest and motivation
5. Knowledge and expertise in education
6. Ability to utilize school facilities effectively
7. Ability to communicate effectively with all
concerned (staff, students, parents, education
authorities
8. Ability to maintain high school achievement
Criteria for Assessing Staff

S/No Qualities Excellent Good Fair Poor
1. Relationship with other academic staff
2. Relationship with administrative staff
3. Relationship with pupils
4. Superior-subordinate relationship
5. Oriented to the goals of the school
6. Acceptance of responsibility
7. Allocation of time
8. Communication skills
9. Ability to motivate others
10. Participation in co-curricular activities
Comments: …………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
255
Recommendation(s):……………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
______________________________ ______________
Name/Signature of Reporting Officer Date
256
APPENDIX E
Recognition Inspection Guidelines
SECTION A
Particulars of the School

1. Name of school:-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Zone:--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Location:---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. Ownership of compound (rented, owned)
5. Approval letters from relevant ministries (Particularly Ministry of Education)
6. List of Inspectors with their qualifications:-----------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Section B
Curriculum
1. List all subjects offered (Seeking recognition)
2 Check syllabi as per above
3 Check for current combinations as per subject grouping, i.e. Arts, Science,
Commercial, Secretariat or Technical groupings.
4. Syllabus coverage (not less than 80% ) Please check records of workbook, students
exercise books and compare.
5. Check C/A records as per above
6. Check previous/past records of assignments/exercise or tests.
Section C
Co-Curriculum
1. List main functional clubs/associations/societies
2. General comment on their activities as they effect teaching and learning in the school.
257
Section D
Staffing
1. List names of all teaching staff with:
(a) qualifications;
(b) areas of specialization; and
(c) subjects taught (attach photocopy at the back of the report).
Section E
Students Population
1. Student population in SS I, SS II, SS III, etc.
2. Ratio:
(a) Teacher/Pupil ratio
(b) Graduate teacher/pupil ratio
Comment as appropriate---------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Section F
Laboratories/Workshop/Exam halls/Libraries
1. Availability of:
(a) Fully equipped (standard) laboratory.
(b) Fully equipped (standard) workshop.
(c) Proposed (standard size) exam hall.
i. Check the size per students’ population (for easy accessibility).
ii. Check ventilation and lightening
iii. Single seaters ideally recommended
iv. Check the school library and comment on:
No. of textbooks
No. of novels
No. of fictions
No. of newspapers/magazines
258
No. of usage
No. of reference corner
Section G
Teaching Aids and Learning Facilities
1. Geography room with facilities
2. Farm/garden/livestock
3. Farm/garden implements
4. Assorted models/diagrams/charts, etc. in relevant subject areas.
Section H
Government Dues
1. Check receipts of dues paid to government:
Section I
Suggestions and recommendations as appropriate
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
259
APPENDIX F
SUBJECT INSPECTION/PROGRAMME ACCREDITATION
INTRODUCTION
1. Name of school/college--------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Location--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Zone/Division--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. Subject(s) inspected------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5. Date of inspection: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6. Date of last subject inspection------------------------------------------------------------------
7. Staff (their qualifications and teaching experience) ------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
S/N Name Qualifications Teaching Teaching Other
Subject experience in responsibilit
years y
8. (a) Student Enrolment

Year No. of streams offering the subject Total No. of Period allocated
students
(b) Comments on staff and period allocation:-------------------------------------------
260
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Teaching Aids
9. Comment on the availability, storage, maintenance and use of teaching aids in the
department: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
School/College Library
10. Comment on the number and suitability of the reference book for your subject:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Essential Records kept in the Department
11. Identify the proper situation in respect of the following:
(a) Record of student results in subject(s)
(b) Record of tests and examinations
(c) Record of aids
(d) Record of past questions on subject(s)
(e) Minutes of departmental meetings
(f) Record of handing over notes
Other records--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12. Subject associations(s)/club(s)
(a) What are the names of the clubs?
(b) How many times to the clubs meet a week/month?
(c) How many times have the clubs represented the school in any outside
competition, e.g. state national?
(d) What are the contributions of the subject masters to the clubs?
261
13. Professional associations

(a) Which recognized professional associations do the teachers of this subject
belong to?
(b) How many of the subject teachers participate in NECO/WACE marking or
school inspection elsewhere?
General Comments:-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------- -------------------------
Inspector’s name Signature and date
262
APPENDIX G
OPERATIONAL INSPECTION
End of:---------------Term, 20--------------Date of Inspection------------------Time--------------

Date School closes-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. General Information
(a) School----------------Year of Establishment-----------------------Grade-----------
(b) Type: Day/Boarding---------------------------Location------------------------------
2. Administration
(c) Name of Principal----------------------------Sal. Gl-------Yr. of Posting----------
(d) Name of V.P (I)-------------------------------Sal. Gl------Yr. of Posting-----------
(e) Name of V.P.(II)-------------------------------Sal. Gl------Yr of Posting-----------
3. Data (attach list)

(f) Staff
S/N Staff Total No. No. Present No. Absent
i. Teaching staff
ii. Non-teaching staff
iii. No. of staff on in-services
(g)
S/N Students No of Streams No. on Roll No. Present No. Absent
1. JS I Boy Girls Boys Girls Boys Girls Total
2. JS.II
3. JS III
4. SS.I
5. SS II
6. SS.III
263
4. Curriculum (Subject offering)

i. JSS-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ii. SSS-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5. Staff Situation
List names of staff transferred out of the school and those received by the school.
Indicate subject areas against their names.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6. Proposed End Term Activities
i. General staff meetings: Held/not held. If held, date and minutes to be
examined ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ii. Examination timetable including invigilation arrangement:
available/not available
iii. Marking time-table(details to be provided including completion of
Report cards --------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(iv) Copies of question papers, if available.
7. Attendance
i. Attendance registers (examine the attendance for the last one week and
comment) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
264
8. Environment
Commend on the general condition and cleanliness or otherwise of the following:
(a) Classrooms: -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
(b) Dormitories: : ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
(c) Staff Rooms: : --------------------------------------------------------------------------
(d) Toilets: : ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(e) School surroundings: : -----------------------------------------------------------------
9. General Attitudes to Teachers to Work

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10. General Attitudes of Students to study
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11. General Observation
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12. Recommendations
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------ -----------------------------
Inspector’s Name Signature and date
------------------------------------ ----------------------------
Principal’s name Signature and date
265
APPENDIX H
In examining records, emphasis should be placed on their effective use rather than on merely
keeping them for the sake of doing so. The following are mandatory in all schools as their
categorization implies:
For each record below, indicate with “Y” (Yes) where the record is available and utilized and
“N” (Not) where this is not the case.
S/N Records Available Not Well Not Well

Available Kept Kept
1 Log Book
2 Visitor’s Book
3 Time Book
4 Daily Duty Book
5 Punishment Book
6 Staff Movement Book
7 Continuous Assessment Booklet
8 Impressed Cash Book
9 Donations Cash Book
10 Cash Book
11 PTA Cash Book
12 Teachers Record of Work Book
13 Schemes and Record of Work Book
14 Time Book
15 Past students Association Book
16 Mark Book
17 17 Prep Assignment Book
18 Principal’s Announcement Book
19 Staff Meeting Minute Book
20 Duty Master’s Report Book
21 Medical Report/Hospital Book
266
22 Staff Movement Book

23 Staff Information Book
24 Duty Prefect’s Report Book
25 Parents/Teachers Association
File/Minute Book
26 School’s Insurance File
27 School’s Inventory File
28 Staff file
29 Pupils File
30 School Leaving Certificate File
31 Certificates/Statement of Results File
32 Examination Results File
33 PTA File
34 Subject File
35 Inspection Report file
36 Old Boys Association File
37 Student’s Individual Files
38 Disciplinary Committee File
39 Auditor’s report File
40 Correspondence File, e.g. SPEB, ZEO,
LGEA, MOE, FMOE
41 Admission Register
42 Attendance Register
43 Transfer Register
44 Health Register
45 School/Boarding Fees Register
46 Caution Fees Register
47 Class Register showing weekly and
termly summaries of attendance
267
48 General Time-Table
49 Prep Time-Table
50 Time-Table
51 School Diary
52 Minutes of Staff Meeting
53 Curriculum Modules
54 Board of Governor
55 Principal’s Annual Report
56 Staff Responsibilities
57 Past Examination paper (internal)
58 Past WAEC or External Question Papers
59 WAEC Results
60 School Album
61 School List
62 Students Representative Council
63 Transfer Certificate
64 National Policy on Education
65 School Magazine
66. Store Ledger
General Comments: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
268
APPENDIX I
SUGGESTED FORMAT FOR WRITING A REPORT ON CURRICULUM

OVERVIEW
In writing a report on curriculum overview, the inspector should pay attention to the
following:
• Aims of the School
• Subjects Studied: These include the core subjects and what opinions are available, and
when students make their options. Also an evaluation of the core subjects. Blocking
and its adequacy.
• Selection Mechanism: for
(a) admission into JS I intake
(b) separation into various courses at SS I
• Streaming Arrangements: If any, when does this happen? How are the streams named
and why?
• Guidance and Counselling: Any counseling before separation into options? Any
career guidance for terminal classes?
• Staffing: Evaluation of this
• Timetable Analysis: Is there a balance in period allocation?
• Textbooks:
• Teaching Resources: Evaluation of facilities available
• Homework-Frequency and feedback
• Evaluation and Assessment of Students Work e.g. continuous assessment, final
exams, projects etc. effectiveness of:
• Co-curriculum Activities: especially those that emanate from school subjects e.g.
Geographical, Science etc. Evaluation of their effectiveness in the whole learning
process.
• Conclusion: How far does the curriculum fulfill the aims of the school?
• Summary of Main Recommendations:
269

Unit 1: Concept of School Inspection and Supervision

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Unit 1: Concept of School Inspection and Supervision

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Unit 1: Concept of School Inspection and Supervision

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Educational Supervision and School Inspection (PDE – 116)

UNIT 1: CONCEPT OF SCHOOL INSPECTION AND

HOW TO STUDY THIS UNIT

THE CONCEPTS OF INSPECTION AND SCHOOL SUPERVISION

The Purposes of School Supervision

• trust their teachers and delegate authority to them; and

The Concept of School Inspection

REASONS FOR INSPECTING SCHOOLS

In addition, some junior secondary schools need to be upgraded to senior secondary

Commonly examined components of the school system

(a) School organisation

(g) Other Item

INSPECTION AND SUPERVISION – ANY DIFFERENCE?

Differences between Supervision and Inspection

S/No Inspection Supervision

Source: Federal Ministry of Education, Inspectors’ Manual, 2001.

HISTORICAL ASPECTS OF SCHOOL SUPERVISION AND INSPECTION

as their welfare were neglected. Teachers had no contribution whatsoever into

III. Democratic Supervision Or Human Relation Supervision As (1930 – 1950)

IV. The Neo-Scientific Supervision Era (1960 – 1970)

HISTORY OF SCHOOLS SUPERVISION IN NIGERIA

RATIONALE FOR SCHOOL INSPECTION

Other reasons for inspecting schools include:

THE ROLE EXPECTATIONS OF AN INSPECTOR OF EDUCATION

Furthermore, an Inspector should not:-

Perception of Inspector’s Role:

“telling, explaining, showing, enforcing, rating and rewarding. Little concern

What the situation should be

inspector, has been disturbed. As educators, we frequently take note of administrative

“the inspector is ideally the teacher’s friend, adviser, guide, professional

The Challenges of School Inspection

• always read intensively and extensively;

(b) Enhancing inter-personal relationship between inspectors and

(c) Enhancing the School Climate

CURRENT TRENDS IN INSPECTORATE SERVICES

Oral Communication and School Inspection

(A). Statutory Records

▬ Name in full, surname first in block capitals;

The Register is designed to show the number of students physically present in

(b) Academic Records:

− Appropriate teaching aids/apparatus to be used.

(c) Finance Records:

(vi) Fee Receipt Books:

(e) General Records:

(ii) Board of Governors minutes book

(f). The keeping of these records serves several purposes:-

UNIT 2: INSPECTION PROCEDURES

School inspection is generally broken up into three stages:

Preparing for an inspection involves four major tasks:

Each of these tasks will now be examined in some detail:

Two other precautions that are usually taken of are:

iv Mobilizing Resources and Planning Logistics:

Duties of a Team Leader

d) Information system: whether data keeping is adequate or not; availability and

Four-Step Method of Instruction

Step III Application

Overall assessment of the Status of a Subject

The Comportment of an Inspector

UNIT 4 POST-INSPECTION ACTIVITIES