Education Inspections Bill

Synopsis: This Bill Paper provides an overview of the Education Inspections Bill as introduced to the Assembly on 19 May 2026. The paper commences with a brief overview of the literature on education inspection. It then provides background information on the Education and Training Inspectorate (ETI), detail of the legislative proposals, considers the Bill clause-by-clause, compares approaches to the obstruction of school inspection elsewhere, and concludes with a discussion of the potential financial implications of the legislation as introduced. Areas which may merit further consideration are highlighted throughout.

Date: 23 September 2026