WHEN the idea of reintroducing standardised national tests across Scotland was first mooted, the concerns were clear. The Educational Institute of Scotland said national tests were a failed approach from the past. There were also fears that poor test results would be used as evidence of the failure of a particular school or even an individual teacher. And the persistent worry was that national tests inevitably lead to that relatively crude instrument: the league table
Four months on from the First Minister’s announcement that a new system of national testing would be introduced, those concerns have not gone away. In fact, a new online survey of members of the Scottish Parent Teacher Council (SPTC) has shown parents are concerned about the potentially damaging impact of reintroducing the tests. The survey found 50 per cent were uncertain of the benefits, 16 per cent disagreed with the policy and 30 per cent supported the plan.
The survey was not a large one – 265 members of the council took part – but those that did are highly engaged and aware of the issues, so the results should not be dismissed. And it would appear that the Scottish Government is fully aware anyway of the dangers inherent in the reintroduction of national testing and is trying hard to avoid them.
The most important danger is the risk that the results will be used to form league tables of schools. Many of the SPTC members said they felt that making the data on national testing available would lead to schools feeling pressure to rise higher in the rankings – and we know that this is precisely what tends to happen with league tables. They also fail to take account of the different circumstances in various schools, specifically the fact that some schools have a great number of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The Scottish Government will need to develop ways of avoiding these problems when national testing is reintroduced and the signs are that they are doing their best. National testing has the potential of making it clear where Scotland’s schools are succeeding and where improvements need to be made, but it will all depend on how the information is collected and used.
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