Primary school teachers' union INTO has expressed concern over a High Court ruling against a challenge to the decision by the Information Commissioner to release certain school inspectors' reports to The Irish Times.
Mr Barney Sheedy, principal of Scoil Choilm, Crumlin, Dublin, had claimed the release of such reports could lead to the compilation of "league tables" of schools and would have a "chilling" impact on teachers' interaction with school inspectors. He lost his High Court challenge yesterday.
Mr John Carr, general secretary of the INTO, said today the union had been monitoring the situation closely and was concerned to see how the judgment will impact on schools.
"Experiences in England where the publication of league tables and reports have had a damaging effect on the whole school system must be taken into account. There is a clear danger that publication of reports in this manner could allow the unfair comparison of schools in an incomplete or biased manner," Mr Carr said.
"Schools are complex organisations and comparisons on the basis of crude league tables or cherry-picked extracts from reports could not do justice to the work of schools. Other factors affect school outcomes including parental involvement and support, environmental factors and Department of Education and Science support."
Mr Carr said the INTO also has "serious concerns" that published information may identify particular children especially in small schools. He said nearly two-thirds of all schools in Ireland have less than 100 pupils.
"The Irish experience to date has been one of top-class co-operation between the inspectorate of the Department of Education and Science and primary teachers. Such co-operation has enhanced openness and transparency and allowed schools inspection to be open and thorough and focused on school improvement. This is what is important."
The union's general secretary said these concerns were not an attempt to run away from accountability, however.
"The INTO believes that teachers are accountable for their work in schools and have always co-operated fully with the school inspection process. It is a key way in which quality assurance is provided primary schools."