Industry News
Debate over testing of children
Posted on 24th September 2007
Children face excessive testing throughout their school careers, according to nearly all experts who recently presented evidence to the Education and Skills Select Committee.
Too much testing can actually damage pupils' education as the drive to meet targets causes stress among children, many of the teachers and charities involved reported.
Out of 52 submissions to the committee, only the Department for Children, Schools and Families said the current level of testing was positive.
General secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders John Dunford said: "Everyone except the government recognises that the current system is unsustainable."
However, schools minister Jim Knight said that a system of national testing worked alongside "touch inspections" to allow families to see how their schools were performing.
Professor David Jesson of York University told the Telegraph claims children were over-tested were "wide of the mark". He said in areas where they no longer tested children, teachers had complained they lacked an accurate picture of pupil progress.