Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 105: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if all second level schools should produce an annual school report detailing their activities under a broad range of headings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27539/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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There is no requirement for second level schools to produce such a report. However, the Education Act 1998 requires the board of management of a school to establish procedures for informing the parents of students in the school of matters relating to the operation and performance of the school. Such procedures may include the publication of a report on the operation and performance of the school in any school year. The methods by which such information is provided remains a matter for the board of management.

For example, it is common practice in many schools that an annual report is prepared for the final meeting of the board of management each year. This normally makes reference to how successfully policies were implemented during the year, highlights particular achievements and states priorities for the next school year. Some schools may send a synopsis of this report to parents. The practice of reporting in the above manner to boards of management is encouraged by some of the trustee bodies. Reports are normally sent to the trustee body. There is also a growing trend whereby principals give a report on the activities of the school in the previous school year, as well as indicating planned activities for the coming school year, to the annual general meeting of the parents' association at the beginning of a new school year. Many schools send a newsletter to parents at intervals during the year or at the end of the school year. Normally, information is included on planned and achieved school activities.

I am determined to provide more information, for parents in particular, about our schools, in a way that ensures a fair and comprehensive picture of all the different activities in a school. I am strongly opposed to the publication of crude league tables based solely on examination or test results. Such tables provide an unbalanced and grossly limited indication of a school's performance. In contrast to school league tables, school inspection reports from whole school evaluations and other inspections, when read in their entirety, can provide balanced and well-informed information on schools.

The whole school evaluation process involves an examination of all the varied activities of a school from the quality of teaching and learning to the availability of extra-curricular activities and the implementation of policies in areas such as bullying, and health and safety. The inspection process also includes consultation with the school's board, parents and staff members, and, at second level, with the school's students. Whole school evaluation reports can provide valuable information on the educational and social opportunities provided by a school. The comments that they contain are also fully sensitive to the context in which the school operates in a way which is not possible with league tables. Given the breadth of the contents of such reports, the publication of these and other school inspection reports could go a significant way to addressing the real needs of parents, students, teachers and others for better information on schools. The type of information provided in whole school evaluation reports will help parents who need accurate and balanced information. Whole school evaluation reports also contain valuable information that will be of interest to schools who may wish to learn from the experience of others.

I am determined to progress this matter in a sensible and responsible way and to ensure the views of all the education partners are considered before the publication process is finalised. During the summer, a mechanism was put in place whereby this can take place. The inspectorate of the Department of Education and Science has held 20 meetings with interested parties over the past month, and is preparing draft guidelines for the publication of inspection reports which will be circulated shortly to the education partners. Responses to the draft guidelines will then be sought and a final draft of the proposals will be submitted to me in December.

The publication of school inspection reports will commence from January 2006 for all inspections carried out from the start of the calendar year 2006. While I do not want to pre-empt the outcome of the consultation process, the discussions held to date have been fruitful and constructive. Each of the partners realises the need to address the information deficit that exists in ensuring full public access to balanced information on schools. This is especially important to those, who like myself, are opposed to the publication of league tables and want to find a better way. The considered and responsible approach to the publication of inspection reports will lead to much greater availability of information on schools without inadvertently pitting schools serving entirely different communities against each other in crude comparisons of academic performance alone. Whether intended or not, academic league tables would be a likely consequence of publishing exam results in an annual report for each school.