"The material was too hard, the curriculum wasn't in place, the guidance provided to schools was constantly changing, and the tests were badly designed..." NUT
The National Union of Teachers (NUT) is calling for the resignation of Nicky Morgan, Secretary of State for Education, over the failure of SAT tests for primary school pupils, while thousands of people have signed a petition also calling for her head.*
Kevin Courtney, Acting General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, says "It was clear to most teachers and head teachers that the criteria for teacher assessment did not allow teachers to recognise the strengths of pupils' work, and that the SATs themselves were going to be a car crash.
"The material was too hard, the curriculum wasn't in place, the guidance provided to schools was constantly changing, and the tests were badly designed" he explains "We are hearing of children who failed their SATs but passed the 11+ entrance examination. The NUT called for this year's tests to be cancelled and for the whole new programme of primary assessment to be put on ice - but Nicky Morgan wouldn't listen.
"Instead the Education Secretary pushed ahead with a flawed system that has exposed nearly half of England's children to an unjustified sense of failure" he adds "The KS2 Reading test was so badly designed that the pass mark had to be set at 21 out of 50. And now we hear very many concerns being expressed about mistakes in the marking.
"Teachers have tried hard in some cases to the point of exhaustion to protect children from Ms Morgan's demands, and to teach a curriculum which is engaging and creative" he says "But as many teachers have told the Union, 'there is only so much you can do'. At some point, the effects of the assessment system will be felt."
In calling for Morgan's resignation, Courtney insists that "In taking this step and accepting the blame for this disaster Nicky Morgan can simultaneously reassure children that these results are indeed not their failure."
Meanwhile, Salford NUT's Judith Elderkin has gone further, arguing that it was no cock-up that has destroyed primary pupils' chances, but a definite policy to fail schools and children as part of the Tory Government's privatisation agenda under which schools deemed even `satisfactory' will be forced to become academies...
"Our primary school members are very angry about this testing system" says Judith Elderkin "It has been designed to deliberately fail children and schools. It is part of the Government's privatisation agenda that will force schools in deprived challenging areas into academy status.
"Teachers, through the performance related pay system, linked to pupil results, will be deliberately denied incremental progression and many teachers will be wondering whether to remain in the profession" she explains "There is a growing and serious teacher shortage, especially in some subjects, at a time when the school population is rising.
"The incompetence of this Government over testing, coupled with its anti democratic policies on school structures will lead to disaffected pupils and school staff" she adds "School buildings and land, owned and paid for by the people of Salford are being handed over (some forced) by Governing bodies to the private sector. These academy schools will be joined up into multi academy trusts, controlled by Whitehall and the Secretary of State. There will be no local elected democratic accountability as we have with local authority maintained schools.
"The Funding Agency that is supposed to scrutinise school and Trust budgets is already presiding over a succession of financial mismanagement, contracts being awarded to family members and services farmed out to related companies as well as outright fraudulent dealings" she says "The lack of scrutiny and accountability is breathtaking and millions of pounds have been wasted on the free school and academy programme. This is at a time when more new school buildings and schools need to be built by local authorities to meet the rising demand for school places, but are prevented from doing so by this Government. Instead libraries, computer areas, school playgrounds and fields are used for extensions and adaptations of exiting schools to create more school places.
"It is now time to call a halt on these structural privatising policies, the disastrous S.A.T. testing system and allow school leaders, teachers and pupils to enjoy working and learning once more in a well funded and equipped education system" she concludes "The old 11+ system was scrapped because it failed too many of our promising pupils -it is now time to ditch these tests and let teachers get on with the job of meaningful teaching and learning."
*To sign the petition calling for Nicky Morgan to resign click here
See also previous related Salford Star articles...
Salford Teachers Strike for Better Education - click here
Salford and Eccles MP Rebecca Long Bailey Tells Parents To Create Uproar Over Academies - click here
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