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| Version 6 | Version 7 |
|---|---|
| Head teachers back Sats boycott | Head teachers back Sats boycott |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Head teachers have voted in favour of balloting their members on whether they should boycott next year's Sats tests in England. | Head teachers have voted in favour of balloting their members on whether they should boycott next year's Sats tests in England. |
| It came shortly after Schools Secretary Ed Balls called on them not to take what he called irresponsible action and vowed to reform the assessment system. | It came shortly after Schools Secretary Ed Balls called on them not to take what he called irresponsible action and vowed to reform the assessment system. |
| But the National Association of Head Teachers voted in favour of balloting, if all other avenues were exhausted. | But the National Association of Head Teachers voted in favour of balloting, if all other avenues were exhausted. |
| The heads argue the tests put pressure on children and narrow the curriculum. | The heads argue the tests put pressure on children and narrow the curriculum. |
| Sats are taken by 11-year-olds in England. | Sats are taken by 11-year-olds in England. |
| Earlier Mr Balls told the conference of head teachers: "I don't want children and teachers overly stressed about Sats in Year 6." | Earlier Mr Balls told the conference of head teachers: "I don't want children and teachers overly stressed about Sats in Year 6." |
| But he added: "We must ensure that parents and the public get the information they want and need about the progress of every primary age child and the performance of every primary school." | But he added: "We must ensure that parents and the public get the information they want and need about the progress of every primary age child and the performance of every primary school." |
| 'Bad example' | 'Bad example' |
| He urged heads to work with him to improve the testing regime but insisted "it would not be right to abolish Key Stage 2 tests." This drew a cry of "rubbish" from one of the delegates. | He urged heads to work with him to improve the testing regime but insisted "it would not be right to abolish Key Stage 2 tests." This drew a cry of "rubbish" from one of the delegates. |
| And he told them a boycott of the tests would set a bad example to children. | And he told them a boycott of the tests would set a bad example to children. |
| Mr Balls had been quite well received and was applauded by the heads, but he could not persuade them to abandon their plans and 94% voted for a ballot. | Mr Balls had been quite well received and was applauded by the heads, but he could not persuade them to abandon their plans and 94% voted for a ballot. |
| Earlier, the president of the National Association of Head Teachers, Chris Howard, said there would be no end to its campaign until the "tyranny of testing and league tables" was over. | Earlier, the president of the National Association of Head Teachers, Chris Howard, said there would be no end to its campaign until the "tyranny of testing and league tables" was over. |
| There will be no conclusion to our campaign to stop the tyranny of testing and tables for primary schools in England until they have been ended Chris HowardPresident Naht class="" href="/1/hi/talking_point/8031087.stm">Send us your comments | |
| Head teachers and classroom teachers all dislike the tests and most of all the league tables made from them. | Head teachers and classroom teachers all dislike the tests and most of all the league tables made from them. |
| They say teachers are forced to "teach to the test," focussing most on the three subjects tested, English, maths and science. | They say teachers are forced to "teach to the test," focussing most on the three subjects tested, English, maths and science. |
| Children and schools are both put under too much pressure over the tests, they say. | Children and schools are both put under too much pressure over the tests, they say. |
| In other parts of the UK, children are tested but the tests are marked in school and are not used to make league tables. | In other parts of the UK, children are tested but the tests are marked in school and are not used to make league tables. |
| At the Naht's annual conference, its new president, Mr Howard, told delegates: "There will be no conclusion to our honest and well-reasoned campaign to stop the tyranny of testing and tables for primary schools in England until they have been ended." | At the Naht's annual conference, its new president, Mr Howard, told delegates: "There will be no conclusion to our honest and well-reasoned campaign to stop the tyranny of testing and tables for primary schools in England until they have been ended." |
| And he suggested it was "high noon" for the government, which he said had promised "education, education, education", but had delivered "regulation, regulation, regulation." | And he suggested it was "high noon" for the government, which he said had promised "education, education, education", but had delivered "regulation, regulation, regulation." |
| Marking problems | Marking problems |
| The organisation says the tests should be replaced by assessment of pupils by teachers, which already takes place. | The organisation says the tests should be replaced by assessment of pupils by teachers, which already takes place. |
| The National Union of Teachers recently voted to ballot its members on a boycott and this will probably take place in the autumn. | The National Union of Teachers recently voted to ballot its members on a boycott and this will probably take place in the autumn. |
| The two groups together make up most of the teaching staff in England's primary schools so a joint boycott by them could throw next year's Sats into disarray. | The two groups together make up most of the teaching staff in England's primary schools so a joint boycott by them could throw next year's Sats into disarray. |
| Their action comes after the embarrassing shambles of this year's tests, when marking problems led to severe delays in publication of hundreds of thousands of children's test results. | Their action comes after the embarrassing shambles of this year's tests, when marking problems led to severe delays in publication of hundreds of thousands of children's test results. |
| The government went on to scrap compulsory tests for 14-year-olds. | The government went on to scrap compulsory tests for 14-year-olds. |
| 'Set to quit' | 'Set to quit' |
| Gail Larkin, a head teacher from Epsom in Surrey, was delighted with the conference vote. | Gail Larkin, a head teacher from Epsom in Surrey, was delighted with the conference vote. |
| She had challenged Mr Balls, saying the publication of the league tables led to "public humiliation of schools". | She had challenged Mr Balls, saying the publication of the league tables led to "public humiliation of schools". |
| Afterwards, she told BBC News she was prepared to resign in the summer if Sats were not abolished. | Afterwards, she told BBC News she was prepared to resign in the summer if Sats were not abolished. |
| "I can no longer stand by and see pupils in Year 6 be pushed through a curriculum which is only focussed on English, maths and science," she said. | "I can no longer stand by and see pupils in Year 6 be pushed through a curriculum which is only focussed on English, maths and science," she said. |