Swinney urged to call a halt to P1 testing

Education Secretary John Swinney needs to call an “immediate halt” to assessments of P1 pupils if Holyrood votes against the controversial tests, opposition politicians have insisted.

While Mr Swinney was demonstrating the tests to both politicians and the media in a bid to ensure an “accurate and informed debate”, rival parties told the education secretary he must “listen and learn” to the result of today’s vote.

With all four opposition parties in the Parliament united against national standardised assessments for P1 pupils, MSPs are expected to vote to bring a halt to them.

Such a vote, however, would not be binding on

“The SNP needs to rethink its plans for those tests”

the Scottish Government – with Mr Swinney continuing to stress the “merits of standardised assessments and the benefits they can bring”.

The SNP has insisted the Tories, who will lead the debate against P1 testing today, were “exploiting these issues for political gain”.

Tory education spokeswoman Liz Smith said: “We will continue to support the introduction of tests in P4, P7 and S3 and will back the Scottish Government in its efforts to do so.

“But the SNP needs to rethink its plans for those tests to be introduced in P1 and call an immediate halt.”