General Teaching Council Northern Ireland

NI schools inspector to leave post

11/07/2008 :: Northern Ireland :: The Irish News

The first woman to be appointed chief inspector of schools in the north is to leave her post.

Marion Matchett, who has led the Education and Training Inspectorate for eight years, will be replaced on September 1 by Stanley Goudie, an assistant chief inspector.

Ms Matchett, qualified from Stranmillis College more than 40 years ago, joined the inspectorate in 1983 where she worked as a district inspector in south Down and later south Armagh. In 1994 she joined the management team, with special responsibility for staff development, pre-school and primary education and six years later became the first female chief inspector.

While in charge she restructured the inspectorate to make it more efficient and effective.

Frank Bunting, northern secretary of the INTO union, said the inspection process under Ms Matchett's direction had become "more teacher-friendly".

"She worked closely with the teachers' unions at a difficult time," he said.