Ministers 'blind' to review of testing
Thursday, 29 March 2007
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A senior government exams adviser has accused ministers of "wilful blindness" in rejecting calls for an inquiry into the national curriculum testing for two million children a year. The decision means they have in effect vetoed any relaxing of the current testing regime - which academics claim has turned UK children into the most tested in the Western world.
Professor David Hargreaves, former head of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority - the exams watchdog - said it was "a desperate attempt to try and make a discredited policy work".
His attack comes after ministers were asked to support a review of the tests for seven, 11 and 14-year-olds. A government report had suggested that the end-of-year national tests in English, maths and science should be scrapped.
Professor Hargreaves, who helped draw up the report, told a London conference that ministers had only announced the recommendations they agreed with - to avoid the "embarrassing position" of disagreeing with the inquiry's advice.
"Yet I haven't met a single headteacher or teacher who thinks the present curriculum and its associated assessment are currently fit for purpose," he said.
