We think, moreover, that the training and inspection experience should prove a potent form of professional development.It has become very clear talking to inspectors and heads that we also need to review the inspection process. A teacher may wish to participate in only one or two inspections a year, but we think that the process would be significantly strengthened by the involvement of inspectors who are themselves teaching or running schools. The former should make it easier for local education authorities and private contractors to put together a programme covering a year, while the latter should encourage more people to train to become inspectors.I am particularly keen to encourage serving heads and teachers to become inspectors. It will also give us valuable first-hand experience of the strengths and weaknesses of the inspection framework.Looking to the future, we have also made changes to the arrangements for the letting of contracts and the training programmes we offer intending inspectors.

I took this step partly because of the moral obligation we have to the schools called for inspection, but also in the hope that a number of inspectors who have shown reluctance to lead inspections will become more active after the experience of working with HMI. I am confident that the 800-plus primary schools called for inspection next summer will be visited and I want to take this opportunity to apologise to those that have been let down in the autumn and spring terms for the unnecessary stress they have experienced.Her Majesty's Inspectors (HMI) will lead those inspections which we cannot let under the normal arrangements. I consider it unacceptable for Ofsted to notify a school that it is to be inspected and then fail to provide an inspection date. First, I have decided to scale down the number of schools called for inspection in the summer term 1995.

The process of inspection contributes, moreover, to the new climate of accountability which in itself is helping to raisestandards. This key element of the Government's educational reforms is vitally important: The difficulties experienced by the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) in meeting its target for primary school inspections have rightly received a great deal of attention.We are taking action on a number of fronts to solve these problems. All schools, however rigorously they monitor their performance, will benefit from a periodic external check. Parents will have access to reports on different schools to help them to choose the best one for their child. If they really wanted to solve the problem they would do something about that.''. The new system of inspection introduced last September aims to inspect every primary school every four years. Once every 200 years was nearer the mark under the old arrangements The benefits of regular school inspections are obvious.

Good schools will receive the praise they deserve: less successful ones can be helped to become more effective. Many students feel that, compared to others, theydon't deserve the money.''A spokesman at the Department for Education said access funds were a backstop to existing provisions for students: "If we include both the levels of grant now available and the loans students are entitled to apply for, they have received 4 per cent abovethe rise in inflation over the past few years."The benefit of access funds is that they target those who need help the most. Universities are in the best position to tell whether their students are in difficulty and need assistance.''At York, Peter Smith rejects this argument: "To be honest, we are a little resentful at having to do this work because we are now administering rough justice."The real problem, though, is not the level of access fund but the fact that students' grants are too low. The majority will apply before then and are dealt with early in January.''Yet Exeter's spokeswoman said: "The most difficult part of the year is the second term. That is when students begin to run out of money.''Jim Murphy, president of the National Union of Students, adds: "It can be quite humiliating to justify why you need the money by parading your particular hardship before a group of people you do not know. At Bristol a significant proportion of the fund goes to help disabled students, including facilities for deaf students.By comparison, a spokeswoman at Bradford said: "Our panel, which includes representation from the student union, has decided to make child care a priority.'' Last year £18,000 was awarded to 66 Bradford students to help to pay for their child care, about13 per cent of the budget.Even timing can make a difference between how much - if any - money is available.Although she stresses that money is held back until the second term, Jill Ringland, at City's accommodation office, says: "We find that students already know whether they are hard up before Christmas. We are seeing fewer cases and making bigger awards.'' In practice, some hard-up students get nothing.Priorities vary between colleges.