The criteria defined might leave a lot of room for interpretation.
The criteria proposed by IZM are:
- A wide and varied range of education. IZM states that the school should offer a variety of subjects (as per the law), plus some electives.
- A modern environment and study process. According to the Ministry, schools should be "encouraging and motivational" and use contemporary ICT equipment.
- Individual support. Bouncing off the "encouraging and motivational" prerequisite, schools should offer a teacher's aide in the first years as well as support staff like a psychologist and speech therapist.
- Highly qualified and professional staff. Again, it is stressed that good teachers create an "encouraging study environment" as well as are flexible enough to adapt the study content to the pupils' needs.
- High-quality infrastructure: schools should have adapted rooms for certain subjects and all the necessary equipment as well as supporting infrastructure like transportation or dorms.
- Good governance. IZM defines good governance as "encouraging the culture of changes and innovations" in the school.
The criteria are included in the information report "Complex solutions for ensuring high-quality education in general primary and secondary education".
