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End national tests, say parents
NAHT survey reveals most want to replace Sats and league tables with teacher assessment
Most parents want league tables and national testing scrapped and replaced by teacher assessment, according to research released today.
The result of the National Association of Head Teachers’ survey is a major blow to the Government’s argument that national tests in primaries should be kept because parents need them to choose schools and follow their children’s progress.
The news comes as Sir Tim Brighouse, a member of the government- commissioned panel looking at the future of assessment, told The TES: “We need to get a system where teachers are more trusted in their analysis of pupil progress.”
His comments will give hope to the many educationists and parents who believe teacher assessments rather than external national tests should be used to track pupils’ progress.
The NAHT poll of 10,465 parents found that 85 per cent thought the current system of testing should be abolished.
Mick Brookes, general secretary of the heads’ union, said: “This shows overwhelmingly that these parents clearly want to see change to the system.
“It should be taken notice of. If the Government doubts the veracity of our database, we would be very happy to see them go out and do the research themselves.”
The results were released to The TES as the NAHT and another union, the NUT, stepped up their campaign for a complete end to testing following the Government’s announcement in October of an immediate end to compulsory Sats for 14-year-olds.
Sir Tim is due to speak at a conference on assessment being held by the two unions on Wednesday.
He will say it is vital to look at how the testing system could be changed to ensure it is not distorted by its various disparate purposes.
Christine Merrell, from Durham University’s Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring, will call for separate systems to be set up to monitor pupil progress and school standards.
Christine Blower, the NUT’s acting general secretary, said: “This ought to be the last year of the Sats. There is a tide of opinion among teachers, parents and experts saying that key stage 2 testing should go.”
In the survey, only one in 10 thought the current system was a good way to use education funding. More than 71 per cent wanted to see league tables abolished, and more than 81 per cent thought national sampling should replace the tests as a way of tracking standards.
In 2006, a National Confederation of Parent Teacher Associations survey found that half of parents made no use of league tables.
But Jim Knight, the schools minister, said: “We take research seriously, but are not convinced that this self-selecting survey is properly reflective of the views of parents.”
He said government research showed that 87 per cent of a representative sample of parents backed tests as “one important indication of their child’s school performance” and said individual school test performances should be published.
Comment (3)
I've worked in 4 different schools across the country. I have witnessed first hand the stress and undue pressure it places upon both children and staff. Lets be clear about this!! SATs are about a means of measuring improvement- yes? In my opinion the only long term and life changing improvement it makes in a child is that of indifference, stress, inferiority and yes BOREDOM!!. When there are 2000 things in which a child's education can be judged by i.e creativity, inspiration, innovation, excitement, engagement..... it still lies at the ability of a teacher to brainwash a child (erh.. I mean teach a child) to achieve a level 4. In a time; in a world where we finally have the first african american president; where commonsense and humanity have prevailed over ignorence and STUPIDITY ; we (in a supposedly) developed country still judge a school by the ability to jump through the correct hoops. Educators need to start again- children COME FIRST- what assessment is going to be best for the children? what assessment ensures that a child can learn in the most creative curriculum! The most inspirational lessons; the most awe inspiring life-changing learning climate!! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE can someone with an ounce of power and influence get rid of SATs testing now and direct all energies into children's happiness/aspirations/life changing and skill aquiring learning activities!
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22:24
6 February, 2009
keep itreal
The previous comment sounds very right indeed. But what is the solution then? Should teachers rate the children - they spend all day with them? Who, how, what, when? It's a long time ago I took my 11+. I remember it as an important time, though I remember I felt it was also pointless. If I knew just HOW important it was I would have cared, but at 11 I wasn't truly aware of what it meant. In fact it was a junction in my whole life. There were a few along the way since then. Looking back is a great way to see. I'm not sure what would be wrong if we just allowed children to go forward to any level of education they wanted, to take whatever classes they wanted. What could be so wrong? But issuing a test and then baring further inclusion in certain schools, subjects then onwards I know to have been unfair and unreasonable. We are all made differently, why start so young in life to expect such conformity?
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0:47
12 February, 2009
kazu
Yes, the 11 plus was a junction, it DID affect the rest of your life. Children already know which senior school they are going to before they do the KS2 tests - including those who have done grammar school entrance tests. SATs are becoming increasingly meaningless. Infant schools cram for them, giving junior schools a big problem with value added. Primary teachers are running booster clubs so targets are met. Senior schools are increasingly disregarding them as they are now canny to the schools that cram and provide kids with inflated scores. It's all become a meaningless numbers game.
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8:43
10 May, 2009
leapyearbaby64