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| Teachers' union threatens boycott of new primary tests | Teachers' union threatens boycott of new primary tests |
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| A boycott of primary school testing in England has moved a step closer after the National Union of Teachers voted to escalate its campaign against the assessments. | A boycott of primary school testing in England has moved a step closer after the National Union of Teachers voted to escalate its campaign against the assessments. |
| Delegates at the union’s annual conference in Brighton strongly backed a series of motions calling for primary assessments to be scrapped and threatened to stage a national boycott if the government did not act. | Delegates at the union’s annual conference in Brighton strongly backed a series of motions calling for primary assessments to be scrapped and threatened to stage a national boycott if the government did not act. |
| The union voted to consider “a ballot for boycott of baseline, key stage one and key stage two tests at the most appropriate time,” although another motion still being debated includes a stronger call for a ballot to be held later this year. | The union voted to consider “a ballot for boycott of baseline, key stage one and key stage two tests at the most appropriate time,” although another motion still being debated includes a stronger call for a ballot to be held later this year. |
| If passed, the ballot would see widespread boycotts of assessments and tests for seven- and 11-year-olds, as well as the phonics check undertaken by six-year-olds in year one, as early as 2017. | |
| Christine Blower, the NUT’s general secretary, said teachers were angry and dismayed at the primary tests, which they believe are inappropriate for those age groups. | |
| “Far from improving outcomes for 11-year-olds, the endless high-stakes testing of such young children could easily switch children off from learning, increase their anxiety levels, and harm their self-confidence,” she said. | |
| Any ballot would be the second backed by the union at this Easter’s conference, after delegates on Saturday overwhelmingly supported a ballot for industrial action in the summer, in opposition to the government’s education white paper and its plans to turn all state schools into academies. | Any ballot would be the second backed by the union at this Easter’s conference, after delegates on Saturday overwhelmingly supported a ballot for industrial action in the summer, in opposition to the government’s education white paper and its plans to turn all state schools into academies. |
| A boycott of key stage two tests in 2010, backed by the NUT, resulted in around 30% of schools refusing to administer the tests. | A boycott of key stage two tests in 2010, backed by the NUT, resulted in around 30% of schools refusing to administer the tests. |
| The NUT conference heard a series of appeals to scrap primary school testing, many of them from primary school teachers, arguing that the assessments put too much stress on young children, crowded out other subjects from the school timetable, and were flawed. | |
| Some speakers also called for a boycott of the government’s new baseline assessment of four- and five year-olds joining reception classes. Blower pointed out that those assessment are optional and so did not require a ballot to boycott. | |
| Another motion passed by the conference also called for all heads and teachers not to participate in the baseline assessments scheduled for September 2016. The motion argued that “failings in design and implementation” meant this summer’s assessments would be unreliable, and should not be used to compile data for school league tables or Ofsted judgments. | |
| An NUT survey of its primary school members found that 86% wanted the government to cancel this summer’s assessments. Other unions have also complained that the new assessments have been badly organised and in some cases are too hard for the age groups being assessed. | An NUT survey of its primary school members found that 86% wanted the government to cancel this summer’s assessments. Other unions have also complained that the new assessments have been badly organised and in some cases are too hard for the age groups being assessed. |
| A Department for Education spokesperson said the assessments would go ahead as planned, arguing that they were needed to measure the progress made by primary school pupils.“It is disappointing to see that the NUT are taking this approach, which would disrupt children’s education, rather than working with us constructively as other unions have. | |
| “Parents rightly expect us to ensure that their children are leaving primary school having mastered literacy and numeracy and that is why we have tests at the end of key stage two.” |