Article -School tests: Wales took eye off ball, says Andrews

[debbie]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-13911537

This is an important issue - that we do need to have some kind of national standardised tests for subjects so fundamentally important as literacy and numeracy.

I notice that currently there is a strong reaction in England against years of heavy-handed top-down bureaucracy and inspection whereby teachers are making strong protests against national testing.

Whilst I don't think children/students should be tested at every twist and turn, I do think there are some areas where we need to gain an understanding of general standards - and literacy is one of those key areas.

Trying to moderate 'teacher assessment' (as a substitute for standardised tests) from one local authority to another is very difficult and costly in time and money. Not only that, but teacher assessment IS subjective and in national terms cannot totally replace tests which are objective and standardised.

It will be interesting to watch developments over the testing issue in both Wales and in England.