Ex-head challenges May over ‘toxic test culture’

A WEST Yorkshire MP and former head teacher has challenged the Prime Minister to end the “toxic culture of targets and tests” in the nation’s classrooms.

Colne Valley MP Thelma Walker yesterday asked her second question at Prime Minister’s Questions since being elected in 2017.

The Labour MP said: “I was a teacher and head teacher for 34 years, so I know that I speak on behalf of thousands of teachers and support staff when I ask the Prime Minister.

“In light of the recent announcement of a fall in teacher training application numbers by a third, will the Government listen to professionals and fully and fairly fund our schools, end the toxic culture of targets and tests, deliver a broad and balanced curriculum and return the joy of teaching and learning back to our classrooms?”

In response, Mrs May said: “We are putting record sums of money into our schools, but more than that, we are ensuring we are seeing increasing standards in our schools, that is why today there are 1.9m more children in good or outstanding schools than in 2010, and I hope she would welcome that.”

Last summer it emerged that almost a quarter of the teachers who have qualified since 2011 have already left the profession. Later in the year the Government decided to lift the one-per-cent cap on pay rises for public sector employees.

Mrs Walker said yesterday: “When I started as a teacher 34 years ago, I loved going to work. Each day would be challenging, but it was also so rewarding.

“Teachers tell me that they have lost the joy of being a teacher, they no longer feel they can teach a broad and balanced curriculum covering the arts and music. This is because the Department for Education has driven the curriculum away from whole child education.

“Teachers tell me they feel like they are in an experiment, with constant changes to assessment and the curriculum. Schools are becoming exam factories.”