The man behind yesterday's report is a softly-spoken Ulsterman who has helped to steer the schools system in Northern Ireland through some of the province's most turbulent years.

Tom Shaw, CBE, now 67, began his career as a geography teacher in Belfast Royal Academy.

He became an inspector of schools 23 years ago and rose to chief inspector of education and training for Northern Ireland, from 1995 to 2000.

Married with two grown-up children, and three grand-children, he has had extensive service since his official retirement on various committees and review groups such as the National Museums Northern Ireland Board of Trustees and has been closely involved in child advocacy issues.

In 2000 he was appointed to a review panel on Northern Ireland's post-primary school transfer system. Their report recommended the end of the 11-plus transfer test with grammar schools no longer able to select on academic grounds.

Controversial as that was, the investigation he was asked to conduct into abuse at children's residential establishments was clearly more harrowing and much more extensive than he expected. In fact it proved to be such a huge task that Mr Shaw twice asked for an extension to the deadline. The report was originally due a year ago and was postponed in March for a further six months.

That delay prompted suspicions that he had been asked to delay publication until after the Holyrood elections, a suggestion he vehemently denied.

He has also encountered frustration from abuse claimants because of the confinements of his remit.

No individual homes or perpetrators were to be named in order not to prejudice future criminal trials.



Key recommendations

  • The government should establish a National Task Group to oversee services for looked-after children which should answer to parliament.
  • The government to establish a centre, based on an existing agency, to support former residents in accessing advocacy, mediation and counselling services and preserving the history of residential services, including a data base of all past and present institutions and individual records.
  • The government should preserve historic records.