Greens vote to scrap p1 standardised testing
The Standardised Testing of primary one pupils faces an uncertain future after Greens and other opposition parties at Holyrood voted to scrap them.
Ross Greer, the Scottish Greens’ education spokesperson says the Scottish Parliament can now be added to a long list of those calling on the method of testing to be stopped, a list including Scotland’s largest teaching union and education experts.
Greer highlighted how even Professor Andy Hargreaves, a senior international advisor to the education secretary, is also opposed to the SNP policy. [1]
Mr Greer, the Green MSP for the West of Scotland, said:
“What’s truly shocking about the introduction of these standardised tests is that all the issues highlighted by Greens and others were already well known when the SNP decided to press ahead.”
“Members of the Scottish Government’s own International Council of Education Experts have been at the forefront of these criticisms and ministers still cannot explain why they would ignore their own experts, never mind the voices of a majority of Scotland’s teachers and many others.
“Now a majority in the Scottish Parliament have joined the calls to scrap these tests for four and five year olds and in a fit of arrogance, the government seems set to ignore our decision.
“The concerns that Greens have raised are not limited to the P1 tests. The whole concept of standardised testing does more harm than good to our young people. John Swinney should follow the evidence, accept the will of parliament and scrap the tests immediately.”