The present the Inspectorate is in direct unbroken descent from the Inspectorate established in 1832 by The Commissioners of National Education in Ireland. In January 1989 the Inspectorate’s work was extended to include the training service in Northern Ireland and it became known as the Education and Training Inspectorate (Inspectorate).
Since the establishment of the devolved government in 2001, the Inspectorate provides inspection services and information about the quality of education, youth provision and training to:
- The Department of Education (DE);
- The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL);
- The Department for Employment and Learning (DEL).
Notwithstanding the many changes that have occurred in the education service, including the extensive changes of the 1990’s, the duty of the Inspectorate, to report on the quality of education and training in Northern Ireland, remains fundamentally unchanged.
Within the Inspectorate, particular inspectors carry out specific roles. The role of the District Inspector (DI) has been part of the role of an inspector in Northern Ireland (NI) since the beginnings in 1832.