Industry News
League table rethink urged by exam chiefs
Posted on 23rd July 2007
Government exam chiefs have called for a rethink of how exam results affect school league tables.
Ken Boston, chief executive of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) has expressed concern that pressure to perform in league tables and external testing is negatively impacting how children are taught.
Dr Boston wrote to ministers saying: "There are long standing issues around the inclusion of all qualifications in performance tables, and the impact that those tables have on the curriculum and on the learning experience of young people."
Mick Brookes, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said: "It seems plainly obvious to us that the culture of targets, testing and tables is having a marked impact on narrowing the curriculum.
"In far too many schools, the pressure to perform in a set of tests which happen in one week of a child's career is quite extraordinary."
He added: "There is a wealth of curriculum that could be done instead."
This call comes as a government plan to try and widen participation in higher education has been denounced by a financial institution as failing those from poorer families who might need assistance more.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) said that the changes would help students from families earning more than £17,500 get into higher education, but would fail students from poorer backgrounds.
The IFS argued: "it would probably be better to spend money trying to further improve school results rather than increasing subsidies for those who do make it to university".
Researcher Haroon Chowdry told the BBC: "The most effective way of increasing participation in higher education among children from poorer socio-economic backgrounds is to improve their academic results in school."
Martin Johnson, deputy general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, said: "The government is lagging behind what many throughout the education community, parents and the public already know.
"Until the current testing and target driven system is abandoned, the curriculum stands no chance of helping student learn and develop the skills they need for life."