Out of touch

Besides discussions on why our local state school is seriously underfunded I have also been hearing troubling things about the tests on 7 and 11 year olds. Now the NUT is to ballot its members on a boycott of those tests.

When the boycott goes ahead, no child's education will be disrupted. Instead teachers will be able to use their professional judgement to their pupils' benefit and in support of their primary purpose of educating children

That's the general message I have been hearing from my wife and parents of children at our local school. It's the teachers that know how our kids are doing and the tests (with all the structure required that leads up to those tests) are having a negative and constraining affect.

The governments response:

A boycott of tests would be a gross betrayal of children. It would say that we don't care how children are doing or how we can better help them in school.

That's contrary to the word on the street, or the cul-de-sac if you like.

Posted by JohnJo at November 7, 2003 11:36 AM | TrackBack