Some Notts parents kept their children off school on Tuesday in a ‘pupil strike’ protest against tests and exam pressure.
‘Let Our Kids Be Kids’ saw thousands of primary schoolchildren ‘on strike’ from school, and instead involved in outdoor activities in a bid to reject exams for 4 – 7 year-olds.
Notts teacher and Radcliffe-on-Trent mum Marie Luckett was among those keeping children away from classes, which she believes sends more of a message than teachers going on strike.
She kept her four year-old daughter out of school on Tuesday and instead went to the park with other mums and children taking part in the protest.
She said: “Children are worrying about school more now since having to revise for these tests. The tests are not creative or interesting to children at all, and lots of parents have found the tests difficult.”
Nicky Morgan has it all wrong
Tests including the Standard Assessment Tests, or SATs, aimed at six to seven year-olds, have been criticised for putting too much pressure on young children.
But the Government says they are an important tool in assessing the performances of schools and teachers as well as children.
Ms Luckett, who works at a Nottingham city school, said that when she and other parents took the same tests, they struggled to answer questions which were ‘not relevant to children’.
She added: “[Education Secretary] Nicky Morgan has got it all wrong – she doesn’t understand the teachers on the frontline, she needs to listen to teachers and parents and prioritise children over policies.”
Luckett says that her head teacher has been very supportive, and many of her colleagues have also taken their children out of school.
Other parents across the UK will be taking part in leisure activities, such as going to the park or a walk in the woods.
Ms Morgan said that taking pupils out of school for a day is “damaging”.
On Saturday she said: “Keeping children home – even for a day – is harmful to their education and makes the lives of dedicated teachers harder. I urge those running these campaigns to reconsider their actions.”
Testing times – Exams faced by young children in England
- Age 4 – Baseline Test
- Year 1 (age 5/6) – Phonics Test
- Year 2 (age 6/7) – Standard Assessment Tests (SATs)
And Schools Minister Nick Gibb said: “Children should only ever be taken out of school in exceptional circumstances and we’d urge the organisers of this campaign to drop their plans because it simply isn’t fair on children to deprive them of a day in their education.
An online petition for teachers to boycott SATs has received 45,000 signatures but would need 100,000 to be heard in parliament.
Would you pass your SATs in 2016? Take this test online to find out.
