In recent decades governing practices in education have become highly contradictory: deregulation and decentralisation are accompanied by re-regulation and increased centralisation, while the performative effects of over-regulation contribute to considerable tension in the development of education governance across Europe and globally. This book looks at attempts to manage these tensions in Europe and across three national systems, Sweden, Scotland and England, through the development of inspection as a governing practice.

Introduction Sotiria Grek and Joakim Lindgren 1. Inspections: Governing at a Distance John Clarke 2. Neo-liberal Agenda(s) in Education Jenny Ozga and Christina Segerholm 3. Inspectors in Europe: SICI and the Role of Meditative Work Sotiria Grek 4. The History and Development of the Inspectorates in England, Sweden and Scotland Jenny Ozga, Christina Segerholm and Martin Lawn 5. Regulatory Frameworks: Shifting Frameworks, Shifting Criteria Jacqueline Baxter, Sotiria Grek, Christina Segerholm 6. The New Local: System Shifts and School Inspection Martin Lawn, Jacqueline Baxter, Sotiria Grek and Christina Segerholm 7. Inspection and Emotion: The Role of Affective Governing Sotiria Grek, Joakim Lindgren and John Clarke 8. The Vocabulary of Inspection John Clarke and Joakim Lindgren 9. Inspection and the Media: The Media and Inspection Jacqueline Baxter and Linda Rönnberg 10. Why Inspect? Europe, Knowledge and Neo-liberal Narratives Sotiria Grek and Joakim Lindgren Appendix: A Note on Methodology and Methods Jenny Ozga and Christina Segerholm

Sotiria Grek is Lecturer in Social Policy at the School of Social and Political Science, University of Edinburgh, UK.

Joakim Lindgren is Senior Lecturer at the Department of Education, Umeå University, Sweden.