ABSTRACT
The influence of Her Majesty's Inspectors on the schools has not always been good. Nevertheless, the first instructions for inspectors by Dr. Kay of the Poor Law Commission in 1839 read like a brief for a modern adviser in an enlightened authority. Interestingly the qualities sought of the early inspectors were university education, good manners and 'extensive acquirements'. They were consulted about educational matters and had soon built up a reputation of robust independence which they have never lost. At the present time there is much concern amongst the public and the teaching profession about pupils' standards of achievement in mathematics. HM Inspectors intended to assess science education across the curriculum. Science is a practical subject and departments had decided that they must as far as possible maintain their stocks of apparatus; doing this often used up most of their financial resources so that little was left for books.
