Published: Thursday, 24th July, 2008 09:00
Leader: The test days of their lives
By Reading Chronicle, the Voice of Reading
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DOWN the generations, the school summer holidays have been a cause for celebration among youngsters of all ages.
While the attractions for 21st century youngsters contrast quite dramatically with those enjoyed by their grandparents, it would appear that children of today can add a new feature to their long summer break. Stress.
The Government’s obsession with targets and standards means that instead of being able to forget about school and exams, the latest generation of 11 and 14-year-olds has been left fretting about stepping into the unknown come the start of the new term in September.
A firm, with a record of failure in its native United States, was allowed to win the tender for marking the nation’s SATs tests in a deal which means that if it gets the sack it could be in line for millions in compensation. Even the dimmest 11-year-old might have seen through that one.
As we report today, the marking of every English paper from Thameside Primary School in Caversham was riddled with faults and teachers had to re-mark them.
Not only has that meant anguish for children awaiting those marks, but the school was also forced to hire supply teachers to cover for the staff involved in the re-marking.
The money spent on those supply teachers will have come out of the school’s own budget, at the expense of another service or facility in the educational equivalent of robbing Peter to pay Paul.
Is it any wonder teachers become disillusioned when this kind of farce follows the near-tyranny of the dreaded Ofsted inspection?
It would appear many schools are almost continuously in a state of suspended animation, either waiting for Ofsted or waiting to be re-inspected, while their pupils are engaged in round-the-clock revision. Meanwhile schools minister Ed Balls wrings his hands in anguish and would clearly rather be doing another job.
Perhaps that might not be a bad idea and, before he goes, he can give ETS (Educational Testing Services) the bullet.
But there’s one more service he might render the nation. The virtual collapse of the SATs means that from September very few schools will have accurate, official assessments to guide them. Would that not be a good opportunity to scrap the things and remind ourselves that all children are individuals and their school days really should be the best days of their lives?
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