Teachers attack testing “obsession” as primary results rise
Tuesday’s publication of the Key Stage One, Two and Three results has re-opened the debate about the merits of testing primary school age children.
At Key Stage One (seven year olds) 85 per cent of pupils achieved the accepted levels in English (up one per cent) and the maths achievement remained static at 90 per cent. The results are not strictly comparable with those from 2003 because this year some LEAs piloted teacher-only assessment.
At the age of 11, Key Stage Two, there was a two per cent rise in the number meeting the required level in English (77 per cent) and 74 per cent achieved the level in maths, a one per cent rise.
There is a slightly more mixed picture at the age of 14, Key Stage Three. There was a two percent increase in the number of pupils achieving level five in maths, but a two per cent decrease in the levels achieving level five in science.
The English results have not yet been published. The Government stated that the head of statistics has decided that the data is not yet “fit for purpose”. No further details are available, though an announcement is expected in due course.
Commenting on the results, School Standards Minister David Miliband said: “These are good results and show that standards achieved by pupils in our primary schools are improving again.
“Last year I described the primary results as a platform rather than a plateau of achievement. This year primary schools have built on the platform and achieved the best ever results in English and maths. Pupils and parents can be confident that their primary schools are still getting better and better.
“Standards in all areas are improving but some of the biggest strides are in some of the poorest areas. It shows that poverty is not a barrier to success. It is a tribute to the hard work of teachers who have made this possible. We will continue to offer them targeted help and support.”
The Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), whilst congratulating pupils, said it would continue to press the Government to end its “testing obsession.”
General secretary, Dr Mary Bousted, said: “English, maths and science are important as basic skills, but the 21st century needs rounded, versatile individuals. Defining young people by test results alone insults their individuality.
“If the Government wants to meet its targets, we urgently need to explore a more intelligent approach to assessment and the curriculum. A one-size-fits-all approach is not working. We can hardly expect today’s young people to be inspired by a list of 19th century school subjects.”
Its attitude was echoed by the National Union of Teachers (NUT). Steve Sinnott, NUT general secretary, said: “Instead of celebrating primary schools’ achievement in numeracy and literacy, the target system has meant the Government has shot itself in the foot. Inevitably those hostile to the success of our primary schools point to the fact that the Government’s original targets have not been achieved rather than to the continuing improvement in pupil performance.
“The Government must learn a long overdue lesson: it has got to take defining national measures of performance out of the political arena. There is a strong argument for the establishment of an independent unit which would sample achievement in the basics without being tied to crude national targets.
“The question still has to be asked: why is the Government continuing to impose these uninformative and damaging tests on pupils in England? Teachers regard these tests as disruptive of children’s education taking up an unreasonable amount of time and placing an additional workload on teachers without benefit to pupils, parents or teachers. The Government should follow the example of Wales and get rid of these educationally unsound tests, performance tables and crude national targets.”
