Back to school for education minister

Sir, – As a loyal SNP stalwart, Fay Sinclair no doubt wins Brownie points from John Swinney for her support for standardised Primary 1 tests (“Tests opposition dismissed as ‘grandstanding’ by councillor”, Courier, September 24) but unfortunately for Fife’s education and children’s services convener, that support is blind.

It is blind to the knowledge and experiences of teachers and parents who have overwhelmingly come out against the tests.

It is blind to the professional opinion of the teachers’ union EIS which cites international evidence to show that such early formal testing is worse than useless.

And it is blind to the will of the Scottish Parliament, which this month passed a motion to halt the tests.

Worst of all, Ms Sinclair deliberately confuses the informal pupil-centred assessments of P1 pupils which teachers in Fife and elsewhere in Scotland have always carried out with the computerised standard tests now being imposed by Mr Swinney.

Unless children already have a knowledge of numeracy and literacy, as well as experience of using a computer to take such tests, they cannot even begin to do them.

Many children will not have these skills when they enter P1, and none should be expected to have them.

As with so many of his reforms, Mr Swinney has been caught out.

Rather than doing his homework properly, he’s got the party faithful covering for him.

Linda Holt.

Dreel House, Pittenweem.

Picture: Kris Miller. John Swinney and the SNP are ‘blind’ to the knowledge and professional opinion of teachers when it comes to P1 testing, suggests one correspondent.