Primary school tests should be given more time, experts tell MSPs
TWO leading education experts have issued a plea to MSPs not to vote for controversial tests for P1 pupils to be scrapped.
Opposition parties are set to join forces at Holyrood tomorrow to demand the Scottish Government ditches standardised assessments.
Teachers, parents and trade unions raised concerns about the impact the tests have on pupils.
But Scotland’s top council education official and a former head teacher are urging MSPs not to vote to scrap the assessments.
They say that while there have been issues with the tests in the first year, they can be improved.
Maureen McKenna is president of the Association of Directors of Education of Scotland and the executive director of education services in Glasgow.
She said: ‘This is the first year of SNSA (Scottish National Standardised Assessments). We are still learning about how to make best use of them and how effective they are in informing next steps in learning.
‘We should continue to work positively with the developers to ensure that they help us to improve children’s learning.
‘We suffer too much in education from decisions being made too quickly – my ask is for politicians to pause and allow us the time to evaluate their effectiveness.’
Lindsey Watt is former head teacher at Castleview Primary School in Edinburgh who last year won the prestigious Robert Owen Award.
She said: ‘As a teacher of almost 40 years’ experience, 25 as a head teacher, I’m confused as to why there has been such a furore over P1 pupils undertaking the Scottish Government’s National Standardised Assessments.
‘Various forms of standardised assessments in Primary 1 have been used for many years. The new format has been an attempt to unify the process.’
She said that there were ‘glitches’ with the tests in the first year and that improvements do need to be made.
But she added: ‘In current times, schools are asked to provide hard data to show improvements in pupil progress. The SNSAs provide an opportunity for schools to access robust additional assessment, providing valuable information to parents about their child’s learning journey.’
Education Secretary John Swinney said: ‘These are highly significant comments. They are expert voices calling on parliament to put pupils before politics.
‘Opposition MSPs should heed their words and focus on the interests of Scotland’s children – not their own narrow party-political games.’
Mr Swinney claims the result of tomorrow’s vote will not be binding.
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said: ‘I don’t understand why John Swinney is digging his heels in. It is perhaps a reflection that the wider reforms aren’t going particularly well and he has got to dig in with something. But you can’t let other policy areas affect this policy area – you just have to do what is right.’
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