Fresh blow for Swinney over P1 tests

THE ongoing dispute about the introduction of assessments for P1 pupils has taken a new turn with the vote by Fife Council to scrap the tests in all its schools. Teachers in the area’s primary schools will now rely on the previous system of assessments, the council having adjudged that the length and format of the tests demanded by Education Secretary John Swinney are not appropriate for five-year-olds. Some parents and teachers fear they are potentially damaging.

It could be argued that this decision is partly political. Fife Council is run under a power-sharing arrangement by Labour and the SNP, but it was the Conservatives and Labour who gave Mr Swinney a headache by voting to abandon the tests. But other councils are contemplating the same step. Aberdeen and Dundee are among several councils known to have examined whether they could legally go down the route Fife has now chosen.

The tests are intended to provide standardised information on pupils’ progress while filling gaps in teachers’ knowledge, enabling them to address gaps in their pupils’ learning.

But many teachers oppose the tests and leading teachers union the Educational Institute of Scotland has urged parents to pull their children out. Critics argue the primary tests are counterproductive and – particularly for the youngest pupils – can be upsetting.

In the face of such opposition Mr Swinney’s insistence on pressing ahead looks increasingly stubborn.

He did announce a review of the approach in October which could provide fresh evidence about how they are working and whether they are necessary.

There may be a case to be made for these tests, and this review may make it. But is not yet clear when it will report, or even who will carry it out.

The worry for Mr Swinney is that should other councils follow Fife’s lead, the exercise could rapidly become redundant before it begins.