Sturgeon hints she’ll snub vote to axe P1 tests

NICOLA Sturgeon has signalled she could snub a vote to scrap controversial tests for primary one pupils.

The First Minister was pressed on the issue yesterday – after Education Secretary John Swinney blocked calls to bin assessments which have left some children in tears.

The Liberal Democrats are preparing to force a vote at the earliest opportunity and have the support of all the opposition parties.

At First Minister’s Questions yesterday, Lib Dem Tavish Scott asked: ‘When the parliament votes to stop the testing of four and fiveyear-olds in primary one classes across Scotland, will the Scottish Government accept that decision?’

But Miss Sturgeon said: ‘We will continue to make the case for what we are doing. It is important to take a calm look at the issue.

‘Assessments are not new in Scottish education. Twenty-nine of 32 councils were already doing primary one assessments. In fact, the majority of councils did two a year.’

These had been ‘standardised’, making them more ‘relevant to the curriculum for excellence levels’.

She added: ‘They are not tests – there is no pass or fail. If a teacher thinks a young person should not undertake the assessment, that is in their discretion.

‘The assessments are about ensuring that we get the best possible help to children as early as possible – which is an important part of raising standards in our schools and closing the attainment gap.’

The tests have been widely condemned by parents and teachers. Labour, the Conservatives, Lib Dems and Greens all back scrapping them for the youngest pupils.

The Lib Dems plan to seek a vote at the next education debate and are confident of winning. Mr Scott said: ‘A vote is now just a matter of time. It’s outrageous that the First Minister could even contemplate ignoring the results of such a vote.’

A spokesman for the First Minister said Mr Scott was being ‘a bit presumptuous in taking a vote for granted’, adding: ‘We will respond at the time. We are not getting ahead of ourselves but Tavish has got a wee bit ahead of himself.’

Yesterday Labour leader Richard Leonard accused the Government of failing to protect pupils after porn was found on school app Yammer in April. He said: ‘Not only did the Government relaunch this app without proper safeguarding, it relaunched it without knowing what proper safeguarding looks like.’

Miss Sturgeon said: ‘Pupils cannot currently access it and will not be able to until we are satisfied those issues are resolved.’