Inspection is an important instrument in the evaluation of schools and teachers. As a rule inspectors are staff members of the Office of Education. There are two relevant distinctions: inspectors of a specific type of school are responsible for this particular school type and respective classes. Subject inspectors are responsible for the supervision of single disciplines and are required to further promote exchanges between the single institutions and types of schools. The inspectors of the respective school types or rather disciplines are responsible for the supervision and mentoring of the teachers. In connection with this task they are asked to carry out periodic lesson visitations resulting in comprehensive evaluation and counselling. In the field of the upper secondary level schools (Liechtensteinisches Gymnasium and BMS) there is a teaching commission consisting of external experts.
Teaching commission baccalaureate schools
The Teaching Commission works on behalf of the Government and fulfills supervisory and advisory functions at both Liechtensteinisches Gymnasium and Vocational Upper Secondary School. The commission is composed of external experts mainly from Switzerland and Austria with long-standing experience in education, in teacher training and staff assessment. The members of the Teaching Commission annually meet at a conference that is chaired by a member of the Office of Education. Besides regular lesson visitations the experts make valuable suggestions for the internal training of the teachers and contribute to the issues of the joint baccalaureate and towards appropriate assessment criteria by their cooperation with the relevant departments. In this way the experts ensure, confirm and refine the evaluation of examination standards and of the educational level of the schools in an ongoing process. Accordingly the commission contributes in an important way towards quality development and quality assurance of the schools.
Baccalaureate examination commission
The Baccalaureate examination commission at Gymnasium and at Berufsmaturitätsschule are responsible for the implementation of the final exam in close cooperation with the rector's office. Their most important tasks as groups of experts are to supervise the final oral exams, to approve and confirm the examination and graduation marks, to decide on the achievement of the final exam of the vocational upper secondary school and to settle special applications from exam candidates.
Requirements for appointment
In order to be appointed inspector candidates must evidence, in accordance with the respective job advertisement, a full teaching diploma valid for the respective subjects or rather school levels and must also have experience in teaching. An additional criterion is experience in managerial functions. Starting with the current competencies the job appraisal determines possible lines of further training, e.g. in the fields of leadership, conflict consulting, counselling, evaluation, presentation etc. including in-service courses within the programme of „Swiss Association of School Inspectors“.
Conditions of service
The inspectors of the respective types of school and the subject inspectors in public service are appointed according to the service conditions of civil servants. The salary is based on the Ordinance (2004) on Salaries of Civil Servants (cf. salary categories in the appendix of Law on Salaries, and precise position see Ordinance on Salaries of Civil Servants). The work assignment of the inspectors complies with the School Law and with the guidelines on „Quality Assurance and Quality Development“ (November 2000), as well as with the terms of the curriculum. The members of the Teaching Commission and of the Baccalaureate Commission are designated by the Government usually for a term of office of four years. They are payed according to their expenditures.