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SATs axe is welcomed
UNION chiefs have welcomed the government’s shock move to scrap exams for 14-year-olds.
The SATs exams were introduced in 1995 and are used to create league tables and increase competition between schools.
But teachers found they were pressured into focusing their efforts on ensuring children pass the exams, rather than teaching the full curriculum.
Andrew Baisley, of Camden National Union of Teachers, said: “This is great news for young pupils, especially those aged 11 to 14, who have suffered unnecessary stress at school.
“Teachers had to teach to the test and most of Year 9 (aged 13-14) was sacrificed for exam preparation.”
SATs for primary school children have not been abolished and critics have called for the government to get rid of them too.
Mr Baisley said: “That is because there remains a nervousness on the government’s behalf – they are still scared what the Daily Mail might think.”
It is believed that the removal of Lord Adonis, the education minister and adviser to former Prime Minister Tony Blair, is directly linked to the policy change.
Mr Baisley added: “He has been the most important person in education in the last 10 years – and he had a very reactionary view of education.” |
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