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| Pupil tests not reliable says Northern Ireland teaching body | Pupil tests not reliable says Northern Ireland teaching body |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| New assessments to track the progress of children from eight years of age to 14 are neither reliable nor useful, according to a major teaching body. | New assessments to track the progress of children from eight years of age to 14 are neither reliable nor useful, according to a major teaching body. |
| The General Teaching Council said the results of its survey on teachers' views of the tests are startling. | The General Teaching Council said the results of its survey on teachers' views of the tests are startling. |
| The education minister has said he will make changes to the key stage assessments. | The education minister has said he will make changes to the key stage assessments. |
| The assessments of eight, 11 and 14-year-olds give pupils a numbered level and description of their progress. | The assessments of eight, 11 and 14-year-olds give pupils a numbered level and description of their progress. |
| However, the survey showed teachers feel they are of very little use to them, pupils and their parents. | However, the survey showed teachers feel they are of very little use to them, pupils and their parents. |
| Only 7% of teachers thought the grade awarded was very accurate. Ninety percent said the results would not be useful to parents. | Only 7% of teachers thought the grade awarded was very accurate. Ninety percent said the results would not be useful to parents. |
| Northern Ireland Education Minister John O'Dowd said he would make changes, but has not specified what he will do. | |
| Dr Carmel Gallagher, of the General Teaching Council, said teachers have found the assessments were "not manageable, useful or reliable". | Dr Carmel Gallagher, of the General Teaching Council, said teachers have found the assessments were "not manageable, useful or reliable". |
| She welcomed the minister's statement and said major changes were needed. | She welcomed the minister's statement and said major changes were needed. |
| Learning | Learning |
| "The fact that almost 50% of schools responded to this survey is an indication of how strongly teachers feel about the unmanageability, unreliability and lack of usefulness of the new assessment arrangements," she said. | "The fact that almost 50% of schools responded to this survey is an indication of how strongly teachers feel about the unmanageability, unreliability and lack of usefulness of the new assessment arrangements," she said. |
| "The survey confirms that teachers are not against assessment or accountability. In fact, when asked about the usefulness of in-school moderation of standards, 60% of schools considered that part of the process to be very useful. | "The survey confirms that teachers are not against assessment or accountability. In fact, when asked about the usefulness of in-school moderation of standards, 60% of schools considered that part of the process to be very useful. |
| "What teachers are against is reducing complex learning and assessment processes to a single level that teachers consider is not useful or helpful to pupils, parents, fellow colleagues and other schools because it tells them little or nothing about what a child knows and can do." | "What teachers are against is reducing complex learning and assessment processes to a single level that teachers consider is not useful or helpful to pupils, parents, fellow colleagues and other schools because it tells them little or nothing about what a child knows and can do." |