SATs tests for the chop anyway!

This morning there is the anual furore about how standards, as measured by SATs tests for children in year 6, appear to have stalled. Indeed, whilst maths and science were the same percentagess as 2008 English actually dropped by 1% in terms of the amount of children attaining level 4.

On will leap the Daily Mail and others to lambast the Government! Cameron has apparently already come out and accused Labour of 'failing a generation'. Well, we all look forward to a change of Government when the education service will be treated to the steady ship of the Conservative party leading us through untroubked waters and to the promised land of higher attainment whilst spending less money! Yeah, right.

For my own part, reflected in the views of the vast majority of parents I speak to, we represent a profession that has never had higher standards and teach to a level that was never achieved in the days before the national curriculum. The notion that there was somehow this golden age when over 90% of our 11 year olds did leave school attaining all of the necessary skills is simply fanciful. Does that mean we shouldn't be concerned? No, we must always strive to do better. Does it give those that seek to score cheap political points licence? Apparently.

At the end of the day, there exists the probability that our 11 year olds will not be put through these tests for very much longer anyway. This is already the case in Scotland and Wales and moves appear to be afootin England to abandon tests in year 6 and move them into year 7!