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Six-year-olds need delight, not drilling – this grammar regime is a farce Six-year-olds need delight, not drilling – this grammar regime is a farce
(4 months later)
As a year two teacher, you get to watch as the scales of toddlerhood fall from the eyes of each child as they start to become themselves. At six or seven years old, they hang wide-eyed on your every word, their busy brains desperate to know what everything means and how it all works. It’s such a joyous job.As a year two teacher, you get to watch as the scales of toddlerhood fall from the eyes of each child as they start to become themselves. At six or seven years old, they hang wide-eyed on your every word, their busy brains desperate to know what everything means and how it all works. It’s such a joyous job.
Related: Spelling test blunder as DfE publishes forthcoming paper online
But recently the infant classrooms of England have been drowning in grammar drills. The Department for Education (DfE) has introduced – along with five other new assessments – a spelling, punctuation and grammar test, affectionately known as Spag, to be sat by six- and seven-year-olds this May.But recently the infant classrooms of England have been drowning in grammar drills. The Department for Education (DfE) has introduced – along with five other new assessments – a spelling, punctuation and grammar test, affectionately known as Spag, to be sat by six- and seven-year-olds this May.
Until it was revealed last week that Spag had been accidentally published online and had to be scrapped this year, teachers were instructing pupils on how to wield co-ordinating and subordinating conjunctions with dexterity; add noun phrases; name adjectives and adverbs; and use the progressive past and present tenses. Oh, and be able to read aloud at at least 90 words a minute.Until it was revealed last week that Spag had been accidentally published online and had to be scrapped this year, teachers were instructing pupils on how to wield co-ordinating and subordinating conjunctions with dexterity; add noun phrases; name adjectives and adverbs; and use the progressive past and present tenses. Oh, and be able to read aloud at at least 90 words a minute.
Somewhere between teaching six-year-olds to distinguish between exclamations as sentences and exclamatory phrases, I’ve asked myself what it’s all for. It’s not that I don’t believe some of our children can master these things – they are keen to please; but rather I fear our teachers, school leaders and educational advisers are hiding a dirty secret. And that is that children are being pushed and poked, stretched and stressed in preparation for these tests, and it’s little more than a box-ticking and bean-counting exercise for us all. There’s little room for deep and meaningful learning, politicians are far too busy ensuring that we are counting.Somewhere between teaching six-year-olds to distinguish between exclamations as sentences and exclamatory phrases, I’ve asked myself what it’s all for. It’s not that I don’t believe some of our children can master these things – they are keen to please; but rather I fear our teachers, school leaders and educational advisers are hiding a dirty secret. And that is that children are being pushed and poked, stretched and stressed in preparation for these tests, and it’s little more than a box-ticking and bean-counting exercise for us all. There’s little room for deep and meaningful learning, politicians are far too busy ensuring that we are counting.
Teaching time for the creative subjects is at an all-time low, yet education secretary Nicky Morgan seems cock-a-hoopTeaching time for the creative subjects is at an all-time low, yet education secretary Nicky Morgan seems cock-a-hoop
On one hand, the Confederation of British Industry is demanding more rounded young people with stronger problem-solving, collaboration and communication skills than qualifications. On the other, our pupils are being measured against one stick only – one that seems at odds with what society sees as valuable in later life (none of the recent column inches about David Bowie, Alan Rickman or Victoria Woods once mention their spelling or arithmetic). Teaching time for the creative subjects is at an all-time low, yet education secretary Nicky Morgan seems cock-a-hoop.On one hand, the Confederation of British Industry is demanding more rounded young people with stronger problem-solving, collaboration and communication skills than qualifications. On the other, our pupils are being measured against one stick only – one that seems at odds with what society sees as valuable in later life (none of the recent column inches about David Bowie, Alan Rickman or Victoria Woods once mention their spelling or arithmetic). Teaching time for the creative subjects is at an all-time low, yet education secretary Nicky Morgan seems cock-a-hoop.
In English primary schools today we are operating under a compliance-led curriculum and assessment regime, where the assumption from the DfE is that progress is linear, and that the ability to vomit back outmoded grammatical language will equip our little ones for a lifetime of success in an uncertain world. And while the DfE is doing little to prepare children for an uncertain world, teachers are becoming increasingly used to uncertainty. In the four months of this year alone, I have attended eight briefings about the forthcoming assessment of our seven-year-olds. There have been amendments and announcements; four pages of guidance notes on how to keep the test papers secure – even a diktat for a second key to lock away the key for the secure store where the tests should be held. Let’s not begin to count the cost in hours and pounds.In English primary schools today we are operating under a compliance-led curriculum and assessment regime, where the assumption from the DfE is that progress is linear, and that the ability to vomit back outmoded grammatical language will equip our little ones for a lifetime of success in an uncertain world. And while the DfE is doing little to prepare children for an uncertain world, teachers are becoming increasingly used to uncertainty. In the four months of this year alone, I have attended eight briefings about the forthcoming assessment of our seven-year-olds. There have been amendments and announcements; four pages of guidance notes on how to keep the test papers secure – even a diktat for a second key to lock away the key for the secure store where the tests should be held. Let’s not begin to count the cost in hours and pounds.
Related: Headteachers start fightback against government policy diktat
Education policy is quickly becoming a farce. Teachers, families and school leaders need to stop the colluding with the system, pretending that a one-size-fits-all, off-the-peg assessment regime is working for our little ones. It’s obvious that increasing the number of high-stakes tests is not really raising standards – just the stress levels of all concerned. It’s time for the professionals to reclaim our schools, reclaim childhood and reclaim assessment from the bureaucrats at the DfE.Education policy is quickly becoming a farce. Teachers, families and school leaders need to stop the colluding with the system, pretending that a one-size-fits-all, off-the-peg assessment regime is working for our little ones. It’s obvious that increasing the number of high-stakes tests is not really raising standards – just the stress levels of all concerned. It’s time for the professionals to reclaim our schools, reclaim childhood and reclaim assessment from the bureaucrats at the DfE.
Somehow, even in this climate of top-down, bureaucratic control of education, there are schools doing incredible work developing new thinking with richer, wiser, well-researched and more authentic approaches. You should seek them out for your children’s sake.Somehow, even in this climate of top-down, bureaucratic control of education, there are schools doing incredible work developing new thinking with richer, wiser, well-researched and more authentic approaches. You should seek them out for your children’s sake.
Children need learning that matters, that can steer their lot and influence their futures. We need to give them opportunity to improve the world, time to create and craft beautiful work; immerse them in the delights (and the despairs) of the real world. They are ready to show what they know, what they can do, and what they can dream up. But none of it will show up on a test score.Children need learning that matters, that can steer their lot and influence their futures. We need to give them opportunity to improve the world, time to create and craft beautiful work; immerse them in the delights (and the despairs) of the real world. They are ready to show what they know, what they can do, and what they can dream up. But none of it will show up on a test score.