Towards defining the role of the school inspector as multi-functional educational manager and administrator in Namibia

Abstract

This study is an attempt to define the role of the school inspector as a multi-functional educational manager and administrator in Namibia. It aims at understanding the situation that prevails in the inspectorate in order to provide the knowledge base that would improve practice. This is a conceptual, analytical and descriptive study in which the current international literature on inspection across the world were reviewed. Documentary analysis of the SADC (1998) resource materials for school Inspectors was undertaken in order to assess its implications for Namibia. The findings of this study were that school inspectors are indispensable in monitoring the standards of teaching and learning in Namibia. The study also found that the inspectors are overloaded and that they are not equitably distributed in the education regions of the country. The study concludes that for inspection to be effective, it should change from teacher control to teacher support and development.