PAT: Literacy targets will not aid development

Setting targets to ensure all primary school children are able to read by a certain age is not in the interest of positive development, the Parents and Teachers Association (PAT) insists.

A future Conservative government would make it a priority to improve literacy rates, David Cameron said today, and ensure that all children can read by the age of six.

But the new plans have come under attack from the PAT, who believes this would lead to children being branded as 'failures'.

General secretary Philip Parkin said the proposed Conservative target does not factor in the different speeds at which children naturally develop.

Mr Parkin continued: "We don't want to see children labelled as failures for not meeting an artificial target dreamt up by politicians to make headlines.

"Early education is about preparing the ground for young children to develop skills such as reading when they are ready and able to do so.

Currently, a fifth of children leave primary school unable to read to the required standard.

The party claim meeting the target will improve classroom productivity in secondary schools by freeing teachers to focus on other issues.