23 May 2003
Teaching unions have described Education Secretary Charles Clarke's overhaul of tests for primary school children as an 'awkward halfway house' that will give the false impression that the government has lifted the burden of early-life exams.
Eric Spear, the former president of the National Association of Head Teachers, welcomed Clarke's decision to effectively scrap Key Stage One tests for seven-year-olds, but was quick to point out that most children will still face 'high-pressure' assessments at that age.
David Hart, the association's general secretary, added: 'There really is no case for testing [at seven], but if teachers are given maximum flexibility to apply tests and tasks over time, that may prove to be acceptable.'
Other teaching bodies claimed Clarke had not gone far enough. Eamonn O'Kane, head of the National Association of Schoolmasters/Union of Women Teachers, said ministers should have changed the system of league tables that had 'placed so many schools under unfair pressure'.
Announcing his overhaul on May 20, Clarke began dismantling Labour's national system of tests and targets in the wake of concerns over pupil stress and teacher workloads, which led to heavy lobbying from teachers.
From next year, schools will be responsible for setting 'more realistic' targets for attainment in maths, English and sciences up to the age of 11, Clarke said.
Instead of the controversial KS1, teachers would trial new tests that will underpin accompanying assessments of pupils' work undertaken throughout the school year. But Clarke denied that KS1 had been reformed because tests were 'overly burdensome', and instead said teachers felt the exams 'distorted' the broader teaching process.
Schools will also be able to set their own 'realistic' targets for attainment for 11-year-olds, Key Stage Two, Clarke revealed. But, maintaining a degree of government control, he warned schools that the national target that 85% of pupils must reach the benchmark level 4 standard in English and maths by 2004 should be met by 2006.
But he stopped short of scrapping all tests for 11-year-olds. 'I remind you all that 70% of pupils who reach level four aged 11… go on to get five or more good GCSE grades, while just 12% of those who don't [reach level four) perform as well.
'I refuse to return to a school system that fails its children through a lack of public accountability and proper monitoring. That is anathema to progress.'
PFmay2003
