ABSTRACT
An 18-country study has shown that school self-evaluation is not a cosy option – but it can provide remarkable insights, according to John MacBeath.
Eurocrats call it ‘the beautiful project’. Some of them have pronounced it the jewel in the crown of European Community education initiatives. Evaluating Quality in School Education involved 101 schools in 18 countries, all committed to using a common approach to school self-evaluation. Although it received funding for only one school year, 98 of the schools wanted to continue the work beyond the funded period. As one English school put it: ‘We have learned more in this short year than we ever thought possible. The project has brought new vitality and new energy to the staff.’
