The Inspectorate in New South Wales: A Critical Comment
| Published date | 01 February 1964 |
| Pages | 70-78 |
| Date | 01 February 1964 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/eb009580 |
| Author | G.R. EASTWOOD |
| Subject Matter | Education |
70 THE JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION
VOLUME II, NUMBER 2 OCTOBER, 1964
The Inspectorate in New South Wales:
A Critical Comment
G. R. EASTWOOD
O. R. Jones's paper "The Inspectorate in New South Wales"
contains several inconsistencies and contradictions and reveals a
disturbingly uncritical attitude. The terms he uses are not clearly
defined but the implication of the terms is that neither inspectors
nor teachers in New South Wales enjoy a measure of professional
freedom consistent with their role in a democratic community.
Certainly no attempt is made to deduce the assumptions under-
lying the criteria of inspection, and to examine their validity.
The study of educational administration is, in Australia at
least, in its infancy and consequently it cannot be expected to
possess sound scientific or theoretical bases. As to whether it is,
in principle, capable of becoming a scientific study is a question
that need not be debated here, but it is pertinent to suggest that
the starting point of any scientific endeavour is description and
the development of effective descriptive systems at an early
stage is essential. Description implies more than the identification
and specification of the elements within the object or state. It
involves the accurate predication of properties that are appropri-
ate and acceptable — appropriate to the function the description
is designed to perform, and acceptable to those for whom it is
intended. These requirements imply the specifications of signific-
ant and relevant criteria derived from measurable or countable
entities that are capable, in principle at least, of intersubjective
test. Without these there is no description and those statements
which purport to be descriptions are no more than emotive
expressions incapable of confirmation or refutation. Though they
may not be made explicit these are the criteria upon which the
following analysis is based.
DR. G. R. EASTWOOD is an Associate Professor in the University of Alberta
Division of Educational Foundations. He has held various teaching positions,
including that of high school principal in Western Australia and was attached
for a time to the University of Toronto Department of Educational Research.
Until recently Dr. Eastwood was Lecturer in Education at the University of
New England. He holds the degrees of B.A. and B.Ed. of the University of
Western Australia and M.A. and Ph.D. of the University of Minnesota. Dr.
Eastwood has published several articles in professional journals in U.S.A,
Canada and Australia.
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