Session Information
23 SES 10 C, Governing by Inspection
Symposium
Contribution
The paper reports on an analysis of texts published by the Swedish school inspection authorities describing the aims, directions and procedures of school inspection.The analysis serves to advance our understanding of the Swedish inspection regime. Inspection, or more precisely the mediation of inspection, is understood as part of contemporary education governing. Methodology: The study is a textual analysis of information materials, reports, official annual accounts and plans, and other official texts directed to the government, municipalities, schools and the public, produced by the National Agency for Education (between 2003-2008) and the Swedish Schools Inspectorate (2008-2010). The analysis concentrates on key themes and key words conveying dominant ideas of inspection and education and is structured around five dimensions based on an understanding of inspection as education governance and on characteristics of the Swedish education system. Conclusions: Preliminary results suggest that the rhetoric and dominant ideas in/of school inspection changed when the responsibility of inspection was transferred to the Swedish School Inspectorate in autumn 2008. Key concepts before then are more supportive to schools and municipalities, recognising local conditions. Later, a language more directed to detect shortcomings, and to support an ideology of individual rights and ‘juridification’ is apparent.
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