Government and teacher row over SATs continues
- March 16, 2010
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Keywords:
- ed balls
- sats
- Not rated
This week Schools Secretary Ed Balls argued that SATs exams would continue in May as planned, writing to almost 17,000 head teachers with the claim that tests were a key indication of students’ performance
Unions and teachers argue that SATs should be replaced by a less formal system, where staff can assess children’s performance in the classroom; avoiding being unfairly ‘stigmatised’ in school league tables.
The National Union of Teachers (NUT) and the National Association of Head teachers (NAHT) are to ballot members, which may potentially result in the disruption of exams for 600,000 children.
Parents have reportedly sided with teachers who they trust more than the government, despite Balls’ efforts to include teacher assessment alongside SATs.
Schools Minister, Vernon Coaker, has claimed severe disappointment that both the NAHT and NUT think a boycott of the SATs is in the children’s best interests:
“We’ve made it repeatedly clear that drilling with practice test papers is wrong. The best schools show that excellent teaching throughout the year is the best preparation for the tests.”
