The Department of Education, Sport and Culture has refused to disclose specific areas of improvement identified in the island’s high schools.
Minister Daphne Caine said release the information would “hinder the open, professional dialogue” between schools and its external validators.
The decision follows a question by Ramsey MHK Lawrie Hooper, who asked what areas of growth were identified in the external validation of each school and what support the department is providing to help achieve these aims.
The external validators, currently Etio, is used by the DESC to support schools and educational services to evaluate the impact of their own provision, build the knowledge and expertise of all staff and deliver the best outcome for students.
Disrupt
Mrs Caine said that publishing the information could harm and disrupt the Etio’s ability to continue its work.
She added: “It could also prejudice the implementation of growth priorities, which schools and educational services need the time and opportunity to fully consider, implement, test and refine recommendations away from public scrutiny to ensure efficient and effective development.
“Additionally, disclosure would hinder ongoing monitoring and improvement by shifting the focus back to the validation process instead of moving forward with growth and development.”
Annual
The Minister said that her department will be publishing an annual overview compiled by Etio, which will provide an analysis of the themes, a compelling narrative around the priorities emerging and highlight key considerations.
She added: “By acknowledging these areas, a foundation can then be created with constructive dialogue and targeted interventions into schools and educational services, that will enhance learner outcomes and continue to establish a self-improving education system.”
You can read the full response below, the answer is the same for each school:
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