Not for my child On 3 May, parents around the country removed their children from school in defiance of SATs tests. So we asked some of these parents why they took a stand and why they’re backing teachers…
Joining forces If one good thing has come out of this year’s primary assessment fiasco, it is the emergence of an articulate and vigorous movement of parents. In large numbers, they are expressing the same passionate criticisms as teachers about a system that is failing children and punishing schools. The parents’ group Rescue Our Schools speaks of a curriculum “skewed toward high stakes tests” while Let Our Kids Be Kids denounces an assessment system that is “excessive, provides inaccurate results” and shows a “clear lack of trust in trained teachers”. These are the voices of powerful allies, which have already been heard at rallies and meetings across England. The NUT will be working with them over the next year to ensure that the wasteful experiences of 2016 are never repeated.
Too young to test “My concern with SATs is that children who are so young should not have such pressures placed upon them. These tests do not have their best interests at heart. I believe this year’s tests were made harder so as to label schools as failing. School ratings and teacher pay should not be linked to our children’s performance. That is not fair and not morally right. “I took my children out of school on 3 May after gaining tacit support from my child’s school and trying to convince as many other parents as possible to join me. About 50 children spent the day outside of the school, learning about subjects such as engineering and democracy. “But some parents simply don’t know what their children are doing in school. They assume school is like it was when we were children. While teachers are, in the main, doing a good job of managing under difficult circumstances, I do worry about the future of schools. I wish those making policy decisions would consider their part in the mental health issues facing our children. I want to see not only SATs stopped, but a complete review of primary assessment.“ Parent, Darlington
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July / August 16 I the Teacher