SATs Exams Scrapped
Carousel Current Affairs NewsPublished November 3, 2008 at 20:55 1 Comment
Last week, schools secretary Ed Balls announced that Key Stage 3 SATs are to be scrapped. This revelation comes after the fiasco surrounding this year’s SATs results. The firm charged with administering the tests, ETS Europe, was involved in a series of mishaps, causing a delay in the release of the results – some schools were still awaiting them last month.
The exams, introduced by the Conservatives in the mid-90s, were originally intended as a form of teacher assessment. However, lately, tension caused by league tables and Ofsted reports has led to more pressure being placed on the students to perform well. Recent reports from a two year investigation by Cambridge University have shown that children attending English primary schools are subjected to more testing than those in any other country. This has instigated the practice of only teaching students what they need to pass the exams, as opposed to concentrating on pupil understanding.
However, some have speculated whether the tests would have remained if ETS hadn’t failed to perform. SATs have only been used in schools for just over a decade, suggesting that perhaps they have not been in use long enough for their effects to be apparent. Also, the standard of education could be radically affected by the change in teaching methods – teachers would have to be retrained. In addition to this, Mr Balls is showing a reluctance to dispose of the other two Key Stages, due to the large amount of exams imposed on children at secondary school. He believes that parents can gauge primary school standards through GCSE and A-level results. Yet some critics have argued that this may lead to a trend of ‘teaching for tests’.
Christine Blower, acting general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said the announcement on Key Stage 3 tests was an “admission that the current testing system has failed”.
Presently, it seems that this system of monitoring will be replaced by more classroom assessments during the first three years of secondary school, as well as the testing of random samples of children. Students will move up to the next level ‘when ready’ – similar to graded music tests. As well as this, American style report cards will be introduced by 2011. These will be used in conjunction with Ofsted reports to provide parents with a guide of secondary school standards.
Natalie Turner
I remember doing Key Stage 2 SATs, we were definitely taught for the test as after the SATs we played rounders every day and did very little work! Not so true in Key Stage 3 where we started on GCSEs, but you are always taught for an exam – one need only look at the driving test where you are taught to such a standard where you are capable of passing the exam. The DVLA and DSA recognise this, in the advice you receive when passing the test from these agencies you are told that learning carries on for years after passing the test.
Can tests ever be sufficient to measure ability? Should ability be measured? In society where mediocrity is common place, why not simply have a pass and fail system for tests – this is what they have in France. I don’t know if I agree one way or another, and can say no more than testing is good practice for more tests.