School inspection reports will be made available online for the first time in 2006.
Primary and post-primary inspections will begin as usual when schools resume after the Christmas holidays.
The first batch of inspection reports will then be made available online by the spring, according to a Department of Education spokeswoman.
Minister for Education Mary Hanafin signalled her intention of making school reports available publicly in 2005 as part of a move towards greater transparency in the education system. The reports will not give exam results but will provide an overview of the school's performance as seen by the department.
Some 900 schools will be inspected and the majority will be subject to comprehensive Whole School Evaluation reports, the spokeswoman said.
The reports examine the quality of teaching and learning, the availability of extra-curricular activities and the implementation of policies in areas such as bullying, and health and safety.
Schools will have the right to reply to any criticisms and have them published alongside the reports, according to the Department of Education.
The publication of school inspection reports is seen as an alternative to school league tables. Although the idea of league tables was very popular with parents, they were seen as damaging by many within the education sector.
