Industry News
Children 'should mark each other'
Posted on 17th September 2007
Children should make decisions on what their tests should cover and mark each other's work, an expert has said.
Government adviser the Qualification and Curriculum Authority (QCA) has claimed marking each other's work would encourage the skills children require in order to study independently.
The comments have been published as part of its National Curriculum Guidance.
It says this approach would engage students with the quality of their work and encourage reflection, as well as providing them with feedback and support.
"Peer assessment adds a valuable dimension to learning: the opportunity to talk, discuss, explain and challenge each other enables learners to achieve beyond what they can learn unaided," the report claimed.
By marking each other's work, children will self-assess and take responsibility for their progress, it claimed.
Shadow schools secretary Michael Gove reacted angrily to the proposals. He told the Sun it was "touchy-feely talk" which betrays children by avoiding the basics.