Wednesday 20 January: Mr Tom Bratton: An Inspector Calls
Having started out as a primary school teacher in New Buildings, Mr Bratton, went on to become a Senior Inspector in the Department of Education with responsibility for all the Primary Schools in Northern Ireland. In this role he had to advise successive Ministers of Education on education policy and recalled working with Martin McGuiness and Catriona Ruane. He shared with his audience that he had observed over 15,000 lessons and while it had ever been his pleasure to praise excellence he had a duty to highlight instances where there was room for improvement. School inspections include conversations with pupils and he entertained members with anecdotes about some of the things said to him by children during his visits. He recalled his own school days at Foyle College where he excelled at athletics and gone on to captain the Northern Ireland Cross-Country Team. Mr Bratton told how he had very much enjoyed his time at Stranmillis Teacher Training College and the early part of is career as a classroom teacher and Head Teacher. In retirement he had visited visited Dubai as a government adviser helping to improve teaching and learning in a country keen to maintain high standards of Education.