178 school inspection reports were published on the Department of Education and Science website on 26 April, alongside the responses received from the individual schools inspected. There are now 777 reports available on the website, covering 562 different schools or centres for education. The new inspection reports on the web include: * 45 Whole School Evaluations (WSE) reports on primary schools * 9 Whole School Evaluations (WSE) reports at post-primary level * 124 subject inspections conducted in second level schools Subject Inspection reports evaluate the teaching and learning of specific subjects in second-level schools. A number of subjects can be inspected as part of a WSE or a school can have a 'stand alone' subject inspection. The new reports appearing on the Department website (www.education.ie) cover 25 subjects including English, History, Home Economics, Physical Education, German, French, Guidance and Science subjects. Whole School Evaluation reports comment on the school's management, planning and management of resources, the effectiveness of teaching and learning, its arrangements for student assessment, supports for students, provision for minority groups and home-school links. The latest batch of reports highlights the substandard conditions in some primary schools. INTO general secretary John Carr said many of the reports demonstrated how teachers and children were being asked to work in areas such as converted cloakrooms. Commenting on Croagh NS, Limerick, for example, the inspection report says: "A converted cloakroom serves the needs of the learning support teacher and the utility area is used by the resource teacher." At Park NS, Youghal, Cork, "the staff room is used as a principal's office and is also used for the shared learning support service," the inspection report states. Writer John McGahern's old school in Co Leitrim is also in the spotlight. Thirty-four years ago a new pre-fab was installed in Aughawillian on a 'temporary' basis. Now a new inspector's report says that, due to the increase in pupil numbers from 14 to 30 since 1999, the prefab structure is too small to accommodate the present number of pupils and allow full implementation of the curriculum. The present structure consisted of two rooms and pupils' toilets when constructed initially. In 2002, when a resource teacher was appointed, the board decided to subdivide a classroom and convert it into a support room. "This resulted in one small, irregular shaped classroom, which has proved difficult for teaching any number more than 12." The management plans to build a school of two classrooms, a general purpose room, ancillary rooms to accommodate the special education team, a staff room, an office, a teachers' toilet and pupils' toilets. Despite the physical constraints the report says the overall quality of teaching and learning is very good, as is the quality of support for pupils. John Carr said the INTO was concerned that, in spite of record investment, reports highlighted substandard accommodation in primary schools. (Sources: DES, Irish Times)