THE introduction of standardised testing for Scottish primary school pupils has been condemned by a senior trade unionist.

Helen Connor, president of the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC), launched a fierce attack on the assessments - set to be introduced later this year - arguing Scotland's children "deserve better".

The Scottish Government argues the new assessments are a key part of its work to close the attainment gap between rich and poor because they will provide better information about pupil progress.

Currently, all local authorities test pupils, but ministers say that because assessments are different and the results are not collated nationally it is much harder to assess what is working.

However, Ms Connor, who has been a teacher for 32 years and is a member of the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS), said she would not give the tests to pupils.

She added: "I'll tell you how you don't tackle the attainment gap and that is by continually testing children by the use of standardised tests. As a teacher and as a professional I will not give the same test to all children when I know that their abilities are different.

"Why do we differentiate our teaching and then administer the same test? I didn't come into teaching to see children fail. Just as well I'm retiring soon as I will not sacrifice my professionalism and the self-confidence of my pupils in order to provide the Scottish Government with data. Our children deserve better."

Ms Connor made the comments as she addressed the STUC annual congress in Aviemore in the Highlands, saying that in the time she had worked as a teacher in primary and secondary schools she could "rarely recall a period when I was more angry than I am now".

She said that while the Scottish Government has stated it wants to close the attainment gap, ministers are "at the same time cutting back on money given to local authorities which run education".

As part of efforts to close the attainment gap, ministers are providing £120 million extra cash through the Attainment Scotland Fund, with the money going direct to headteachers.

However, Ms Connor went on to warn that, although additional money for education was always welcome, the decision to bypass councils was "fraught with danger".

She added: "It can undermine the role of local authorities in running our schools and being accountable for doing so. It could, longer-term, lead to the Academy approach which we see down south.

"Let me be very clear to the Scottish Government and indeed the Scottish Tories. That approach will not be tolerated in Scotland. We value our children's education too much to allow it to become a lottery."

The STUC president argued tackling poverty was key to ending the attainment gap, describing the problem as being one "which goes far wider than the education system".

She stated: "How do you expect children to attain when they are hungry, don't have heating in their homes or indeed a permanent home?

"Tackling this issue is a wider societal issue. Schools can help but the deep-rooted causes of poverty begin far earlier than that."

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “We have no plans to introduce Academies. We believe that collaboration, not competition, between schools will help raise the bar for all children and close the attainment gap.

“As part of our reforms we are reviewing school governance to ensure decisions on learning are made as close to the child as possible. This approach is built on strong international evidence that shows empowered schools and engaged parents lead to better educational outcomes.

"The Pupil Equity Fund will provide £120m of additional support, allocated directly to schools, to target closing the attainment gap. Headteachers, will ensure maximum impact and best value by working together with each other, their local authority and their other partners."