In a move signalling the end of a century-old model of school oversight, the Ministry of Education is abolishing the post‑colonial inspectorate system and replacing it with a modern, collaborative Quality Assurance Framework designed to measure school performance in new, nationally defined ways.
Chief Education Officer Dr Ramona Archer Bradshaw stressed that the term “inspectorate” is being retired in favour of a system rooted in co‑creation and systemic analysis. The initiative aims to provide a comprehensive evaluation of every role within the education sector, from classroom teachers to the education chief.
The reform changes how the government interacts with schools. By dropping the “inspectorate” label, the ministry hopes to foster a culture of support rather than one of punitive policing.
“We are moving away from that term because it’s very colonial. What we are focusing on is the development of a quality assurance framework where we will be analysing the entire system,” the ministry spokesperson said. “We will be co‑creating standards that help us measure when we have a good teacher, a good school, and a good principal.”
The development process is already under way, involving a wide cross‑section of academic stakeholders. Two weeks ago, a large exercise was held with education officers, master teachers and peripatetic teachers to begin defining indicators of “good teaching” and “effective leadership”.
The ministry outlined a timetable beginning with five months of continued stakeholder meetings to refine shared professional roles. In October 2026, it plans to launch a “pilot cycle”, during which teams of education officers and master teachers will enter schools to test the new indicators in real time.
Following this pilot phase, Dr Archer Bradshaw said the ministry will collect and refine data to ensure the metrics suit different school contexts, leading to full implementation of the Quality Assurance Framework by 2028.
She said: “When I speak about co‑creating, it is truly a co‑creation where we sit together and share with one another to come to a shared understanding of what these positions should be doing.”
She also addressed long‑standing tensions over a “regrading exercise” from more than a decade ago that left some principals on a higher pay grade than the education officers responsible for supervising them. This imbalance has historically created friction and, in some cases, a lack of cooperation from school heads.
To rectify this, the Ministry of the Public Service launched a new regrading exercise two years ago, she said. While the final results are pending, the education ministry has taken a firm stance on the chain of command in the interim. Under the Education Act, education officers represent the legal authority of the Chief Education Officer.
She expressed concern that officers are not always shown the appropriate level of respect by some principals, adding that the Chief Education Officer—whoever holds the post—will personally intervene if necessary. Reports of non‑compliance from principals have declined over the past 24 months as the focus has shifted towards school improvement rather than criticism.
Dr Bradshaw emphasised that the new framework is not intended as a hurdle for educators, but as a roadmap for improvement. The goal is for master teachers and education officers to be seen as partners in the school environment, working to enhance teaching and learning conditions for all students.
“The principals understand the roles of the education officers and master teachers,” the official noted. “Those roles are there to come in and help them to improve their school environment.”
With the pilot due to begin in October, the ministry urged educators to engage fully with the co‑creation process, ensuring that by 2028 the education system is governed by standards that are modern, collaborative and home‑grown.
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