Is critical scholarship being reflected in policy? A critical response to ‘Looking at Our School 2022: a quality framework’

ABSTRACT In this piece the author provides a critical response to the new ‘Looking at Our School’ quality framework in Ireland and illustrates how policy overlooks critical scholarship. The author questions the claim that the updated policy reflects recent thinking and developments, and critiques the policy's stance on notions of both distributed leadership and effectiveness, and the policy overload it generates. Although much broader issues relating to the disconnect between research and policy and the prominence of the ‘what works’ discourse in education, this new framework in Ireland typifies a case of critical scholarship being passed over in policy. While this respondent is unconvinced by the policy that has been produced, packaged, and presented by policy makers, perhaps there is room for optimism in that recent personnel changes in the education ministry in Ireland could possibly pave the way for more much-needed critical perspectives in policy making. More critical scholarship is also needed, and there is a need for academics to not only advise policy makers but, professionally of course, challenge their thinking and question their decisions.