Requirements for Appointment

The Academy Inspectors - Regional Pedagogical Inspectors (IA-IPR) and the National Education Inspectors (IEN) ensure the implementation of the educational policy decided by the Minister of Education. To this end, within the framework of the academic work programme drawn up by the rector of the academy, they are required to carry out the tasks defined in articles R241-19 to R241-21 of the Education Code, mentioned below, under the authority of the latter:

• In the exercise of their pedagogical competence, they evaluate the individual and team work of teaching, education and guidance staff in schools, collèges and lycées and contribute to the evaluation of the teaching of subjects, teaching units, procedures and results of educational policy. In particular, they carry out direct observation of teaching activities;
• They inspect, according to their specialities, the teaching, education and guidance staff of schools, collèges and lycées and ensure compliance with the objectives and national training programmes, within the framework of the teaching cycles; they are responsible for pedagogical control missions;
• They take part in educational activities in initial, continuing and sandwich courses, help to draw up school projects and collaborate with the General Inspectorate of Education, Sport and Research to evaluate educational experiments and make them more widespread;
• Their role is to participate in the recruitment and training of national education staff and in the organisation of examinations;
• They provide expertise in these areas as well as in student guidance, examinations, management of educational staff and in the choice of educational equipment.

Requirements to access the position of IEN

According to articles 8 and following of the decree n°90-675 of 18 July 1990 on the statutes of the IA-IPR and IEN, the IEN are recruited by competitive examination and, within the limit of a quarter of the appointments as trainees made the previous year, by way of a list of aptitude, under the conditions specified in the decree.

The competitive examination, which takes into account the experience and previous training of candidates, is open by speciality. The list of these specialities is fixed by a joint decree of the ministers responsible for national education and the civil service. The competitive examination is organised on the basis of tests in accordance with the provisions laid down by the order.  Candidates may apply if, on 1 January of the year for which the competitive examination is open, they meet the following two conditions

• Be a civil servant in a teaching or education corps, in the corps of national education psychologists or in the corps of management staff of educational or training establishments under the authority of the Minister of National Education and have completed five years in a corresponding position;
• Hold a bachelor's degree or a title or diploma recognised as equivalent or belong to the corps of certified teachers, the corps of physical education and sports teachers, the corps of school teachers, the corps of vocational high school teachers, the corps of principal education counsellors, the corps of national education psychologists or the corps of management staff of educational or training establishments.

In addition, the list of aptitude is established annually by speciality, by an order of the Ministry of National Education. The list may include civil servants belonging to a teaching or education body, to the body of national education psychologists or to the body of management staff of educational or training establishments under the authority of the Minister of National Education, who can prove ten years of actual service in this capacity.

Officials recruited by competitive examination are appointed as trainee IENs. During the probationary period, which lasts one year, they receive training, the organisation of which is laid down by order of the Minister for National Education. At the end of the training period, the persons concerned are granted tenure in the normal class of the body of education inspectors. Those whose probationary period has not been satisfactory may be authorised to complete a further year of probation. Probationary inspectors who have not been authorised to complete a further year of probation or whose further year of probation has been judged unsatisfactory are reinstated in their original corps and are no longer eligible to apply.

Staff recruited by way of a list of suitable candidates shall be immediately appointed to the normal grade of the corps of national education inspectors. After their appointment, they shall receive training, the terms of which shall be laid down by order of the Minister for Education.

Requirements to access the position of IA-IPR

According to articles 22 and following of the decree n°90-675, IA-IPRs are, under the conditions specified by the following articles, recruited by competitive examination. In addition, within the limit of 5% of the appointments made the previous year following competitive examinations, candidates with a bachelor's degree and eight years of professional experience in the fields of education, teaching or training, or in inspection, expertise or auditing, may be appointed through a competitive examination based on qualifications.

The competitive examination, which takes into account the experience and previous training of candidates, is open by speciality. The list of specialities is fixed by a joint decree of the Ministers of National Education and of the Civil Service. Candidates may apply for the competitive examination if they are permanent civil servants belonging to the corps of lecturers, senior professors, associate professors, managers of educational or training establishments and national education inspectors.

Civil servants recruited by competitive examination are appointed as trainee IA-IPRs. During the probationary period, which lasts one year, they receive training, the organisation of which is laid down by order of the Minister for National Education. At the end of the training period, the persons concerned are appointed to the normal grade of the IA-IPR corps on the basis of a report drawn up by the director of the training centre and a report on the training period drawn up by the academy rector concerned, which may be supplemented by a report drawn up by the head of the general inspectorate for education, sport and research. Those whose probationary period has not been satisfactory may be authorised to complete a further probationary year. Trainee inspectors who have not been authorised to complete a further year's probationary period or whose further probationary period has been judged unsatisfactory are reinstated in their original body and are no longer eligible to apply.

Conditions of service

Advancement of National Education Inspectors (IEN)

The IEN corps consists of two grades:

• the "classe normale" grade has 7 steps;
• Appointments to the "hors-classe" grade of the IEN corps are made in the order of registration on the annual promotion table. Inspectors who have reached the 3rd step of the normal class and who have six years of effective service in the body in an active position or on secondment may be entered on the promotion table. The hors-classe has 7 steps.

IENs are subject to an evaluation, the frequency and procedures for which are laid down by order of the minister responsible for national education. This evaluation, conducted by the academy rector or the direct superior, gives rise to an interview. It focuses on their activities, their skills and the achievement of the objectives set for them in a multi-year mission statement drawn up by the academy rector or the immediate superior. The evaluation is communicated in writing to the persons concerned and is taken into account in the grade promotion procedure.

Advancement of Academy Inspectors - Regional Pedagogical Inspectors (IA - IPR)

The IA-IPR corps comprises two grades:

• the classe normal has 7 steps;
• Appointments to the hors-classe of the corps of Inspecteurs d'académie-Inspecteurs pédagogiques régionaux are made in the order of registration on the annual promotion table. Inspectors who have reached the 6th step of the normal grade and who have six years of actual service in the corps or on secondment or since their secondment as an Inspecteur d'académie-Inspecteur pédagogique régional may be entered on the promotion table. The hors-classe has 3 steps.

IA-IPRs are subject to an assessment, the frequency and procedures for which are set by order of the Minister for National Education. This evaluation, conducted by the academy rector or the direct superior, gives rise to an interview. It focuses on their activities, their skills and the achievement of the objectives set for them in a multi-year mission statement drawn up by the academy rector or the immediate superior. The evaluation is communicated in writing to the persons concerned and is taken into account in the grade promotion procedure.

Remuneration of Inspectors

The remuneration of IENs is detailed on the dedicated website of the Ministry of National Education.

The remuneration of IA-IPRs is detailed on the dedicated website of the Ministry of National Education.