No movement on primary school targets

Tuesday, 19 August 2003 12:00 AM

Figures published today by the Government showed that there has been no change in the proportion of 11 year olds reaching the target standard for English and maths.

A total of 75 per cent of 11-year-olds reached the target standard for their age in English, and 73 per cent in maths.

However, critics claimed today that target do little to improve standards and merely place an extra strain on teachers and pupils.

The Government stands resolutely by its education targets, despite heavy criticism from opposition parties and some teachers' unions.

Opponents of the tests claim that schools should be able to set their own targets.

The Government aims for 85 per cent of 11-year-olds to pass their national curriculum tests or Sats tests in 2004, but this is looking increasingly unlikely.

Speaking about the statistics today, schools minister David Miliband said, "It would be easy for us to hide behind an easy target, but it wouldn't do any good either for young people or the country."

"We don't hide for a moment the fact that we would like to see faster progress," he added.

Shadow Education Secretary, Damian Green attacked the Government for missing its targets and claimed "no-one trusts them on education any more."

"The Government insists on creating arbitrary national targets which distort teaching priorities and do nothing to improve standards in schools. These targets should be scrapped immediately," he insisted.

Liberal Democrat Shadow Education Secretary Phil Willis declared that "the wheels have finally come off the Government's target-agenda for primary schools."

"Despite the distortion of the primary curriculum, booster classes and unacceptable pressure from testing, children can only achieve what they are capable of."

He added, "Teachers must be allowed to spend more time diagnosing weaknesses and teaching appropriately. But above all, children must be given back their childhood."

The National Union of Teachers, meanwhile, is threatening a ballot next year over whether or not to boycott the tests.

"It was inevitable that a plateau would be reached and that improvement in test results would not continue forever. The government should have recognised that reality before it plucked its targets out of the sky and imposed them on schools," said NUT General Secretary Doug McAvoy.

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