MORE than one-third of Scottish parents think primary schools mishandled the introduction of controversial new tests that left some pupils distressed.
A survey shows only seven per cent of respondents thought the introduction of standardised national assessments in literacy and numeracy for pupils in P1 was “well handled”.
Sixty per cent had a “negative” view of the tests, with more than one-third overall having a very “negative view” of the process.
The social media poll of more than 364 parents across the country by parent body Connect found one- third thought that, in general, the tests had been handled well, but they would have liked more information.
The poll comes as pressure is mounting on the Scottish Government to scrap the P1 literacy and numeracy assessments, which teachers said have left some pupils “shaking and crying”.
The Scottish Liberal Democrats are already pressing for a parliamentary vote on the issue unless the assessments are scrapped.
However, Education Secretary John Swinney said Government guidance on the administration of the assessments was clear there should be no distress.
The tests in P1 are part of a raft of new assessments to help teachers judge the progress of pupils, with further testing in P4, P7 and S3. The Government argues testing in the first year of primary is important because it gives an idea of what level pupils are at when they come to school.
- John Swinney: Controversial school tests 'should be fun'
However, the online survey by Connect found 60% of those who responded expressed a “negative” or “very negative” view of them. Just 8% were positive.
Parents were also concerned about the lack of information provided by schools, with 70% not knowing their child was taking an assessment and 94% not having any feedback. More than 90% of parents were unaware they could opt for their child not to take the assessments.
Eileen Prior, executive director of Connect, said the organisation was “very concerned” about the ways in which assessments were being implemented in some schools.
She said: “Technology does not always seem to be available for children to take assessments in their own classrooms. Some parents report that this has been upsetting and confusing for their child.
“Not only are the tests for P1s flying in the face of Curriculum for Excellence principles, they are simply not appropriate. Research shows children at this age should be learning through play.
“The tests continue the formalisation of the early level curriculum to the detriment of many. This was a view regularly expressed by teachers and headteachers who responded to another survey amongst professionals carried out on behalf of Connect.”
The survey also highlighted considerable differences in the approaches schools used to explain the assessments to children. Some were told it was a game on the computer while some were told they were having a test.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon introduced the assessments as a response to concerns over falling standards of literacy and numeracy and a lack of consistent data across the country. However, critics claim they are too stressful for the youngest pupils.
Mr Swinney said: “Assessments are not a new concept and the vast majority of local authorities have been carrying them out for years.
“The Scottish National Standardised Assessments ensure for the first time that all schools will undertake the same assessments, providing consistency and an important means for teachers to identify children’s next steps in learning. That is especially valuable in early years if we are to continue to close the attainment gap.
“Our approach was developed after extensive engagement with teachers, parents, children and academics. Teachers have the flexibility to manage the assessments to ensure that they are a positive experience for all children.”
Mr Swinney said a government review of teacher feedback from the first year of the assessments was taking place and ministers would shortly set out changes and enhancements to the system for next year.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel