MSP brands P1 school testing plan ‘worthless’

An MSP from Rutherglen has attacked Government proposals to test school pupils from Primary 1 upwards.

James Kelly, a Labour list MSP called the policy “worthless”just days after a majority of MSP’s voted in favour of scrapping the policy.

The vote saw Education Secretary John Swinney say he would“reflect”on the verdict, although it does not bind the government to abandoning the proposals.

Mr Kelly claimed that teachers have described the tests as a“phenomenal drain on resources”and of “no obvious benefit to the learners”.

Standardised assessments were introduced in 2017 in a bid to gather more data about the stages children have reached in their learning, with literacy and numeracy tests at P1, P4, P7 and S3 level.

Opposition parties claim that they are not in line with play-based early learning and could lead to league tables of schools being created.

Members voted 63 to 61 to pass a Conservative motion calling for a “halt”to the tests, with all of the opposition parties uniting against the SNP.

Mr Kelly said:“Pupils in Rutherglen and Cambuslang are being let down by the SNP government which is forcing these pointless and expensive tests on schools. Teaching unions have condemned the assessments and parents are rightly frustrated that millions of pounds are being wasted on the tests, while pupils go without vital resources.

“It is the classic SNP strategy of forcing through a worthless policy and then putting their fingers in their ears when pupils, parents, teachers and opposition politicians all agree that the tests should be scrapped.

“Local learners deserve a lot better than John Swinney and his shambles of leadership of Scotland’s education system.”

Earlier this year Mr Kelly exchanged a war of words with Rutherglen MSP, Clare Haughey, over exam provisions.