Peter Canham (ed.) Inspectors' Handbook: A Guide for Primary School
Inspection and Supervision, Third Edition, Evans Brothers Limited
on behalf of the Institute of Education, Ahmadu Bello University,
Zaria, 1983. 133 pp.
 Educational planners and educators are constantly faced with one question: How can
 the quality of education be improved using the existing structures of monitoring and
 evaluating education such as the Inspectorate?      Placed within a particular context,
 this handbook makes an attempt to provide the answer.
 This handbook has eight parts and five appendices.       The object of this book is. to
 provide a working manual for mainly School Inspectors but has also some useful adVICe
 for Headmaster. Although the focus is on school inspection in Nigeria, the issues it
 discusses and the subsequent recommendations it makes have a wider relevance to
 many primary school systems in Africa.        The description of the Nigerian primary
 school curriculum and its teacher training options gives one some insight into the
 organisation of primary education in that country, an aspect which should be of
 interest to some comparativists.
 The author begins this book by outlining wider roles for Inspectors. In these roles the
 Inspector is seen as a professional educator, administrator,           representative  of
 government, auditor, inspector of buildings, liason officer, community officer and
 external examiner.     Looking at this stretch of roles one is compelled to raise some
 questions about the kind of pre-service training Inspectors should possess. Regrettably
 the author does not say anything about training for Inspectors.
 What follows this part is a step by step treatment of the issues involved in school
 inspection. First, a distinction is made of the different kinds of inspection: general,
 curriculum, surprise visit, specific enquiry, and specific investigation. On curriculum
 inspection he gives a detailed prescription of how and what to inspect in each subject
 area. Finally the book ends by giving advice on writing an inspection report, making
 follow-ups and organising in-service courses for teachers.    The appendices provide an
 example of a full inspection report, a guide format on writing a confidential report
 and an extract on Nigerian national policy on education.
 However, throughout the book the conceptualisation of inspection and supervision is
 not made clear.      Although the title of the book suggests that they are separate
 aspects of educational management the book refers to school inspection only. One
 would have expected the author to take a clear stand and also to state whether there
 is a strong case for separate inspectors and supervisors as educational evaluators.
 Furthermore, in the Nigerian context of the book readers are not told who actually
 undertakes school inspection.       [s it Federal school inspectors or state school
 Inspectors? Lastly, shouldn't we in fact be considering reducing the role of inspectors
  In an effort to make them effective educational evaluators?
  Nonetheless this handbook has in great measure fulfilled its promise (p.2); to provide a
  checklist on school inspection. Another point of merit is the author's big attempt to
  depart from the traditIOnal treatment of the subject of school inspection.
  Langazye H. Kaluba
  Department of Education
  University of Zambia