Since its inception in 1991 the Sats exams has had a rough ride with a number of reviews and reforms introduced by successive governments to make it workable in schools.
Despite government’s good intensions to use the Sats as a tool to improve standards and also offer public guide to how schools are doing, initial challenges it met led to it being scrapped in Wales and Northern Ireland with Scotland opting out.
In England the tests have been scrapped at year 14 and in year seven it has been replaced by teacher assessments, leaving year 11 pupils as the only ones having to take the exams.
Consequently pupils have been embroiled in a standoff within teaching unions and with the government. The National Union of Teachers and the National Association of Headteachers are threatening a boycott of next year’s exams if they are not scrapped but another union, the NASUWT is not in favour of the boycott.
In the midst of the lack of agreement on what is acceptable, 11 year olds face an ongoing plight of being reduced punch bags by the indecision on the part of unions and the government, posing a debacle for pupils and uncertain future for primary education.
Stephen Quao investigates.
clip on educ psychology
Audio of private school teacher