Letter: School tests: survey of parents in Scotland, an examiner's view, where teachers' loyalty lies

Sir: Parents in Scotland might be forgiven a sense of deja vu over national tests. Two years ago we were part of a delegation from Scottish parents' organisations who were promised a full consultation and review by the then Scottish Education Minister, Michael Forsyth - but not until after the compulsory tests for primary pupils had taken place.

We urged him to avoid an inevitable confrontation, and described an alternative approach that would be broadly acceptable - and which is now being implemented in Scotland - but he refused. It led to the first parents' revolt, with tests only given to one-third of eligible pupils. But the promised consultation never materialised, and the review was superficial. Parents, the minister claimed, had been hoodwinked. We were accused of being unrepresentative and politically motivated, accusations which grew more strident last year when we determined that grassroots parents themselves should be given the means to express their own viewpoint unequivocally.

Our survey of all parents whose children were due to be tested in 1992 had a 50 per cent response rate. The results showed that 79 per cent wanted the right to withdraw their children from tests of which they disapproved; 71 per cent disapproved of benchmark tests for eight- to nine-year-olds, as well as opposing their publication in national league tables; and 65 per cent considered the tests as then proposed a waste of teachers' time.

On the other hand, 65 per cent supported diagnostic testing to help to identify and build on children's strengths and address their learning difficulties.

Less than a month after the publication of these results, Scotland had a new education minister who recognises that no new initiatives can be successful unless they have the broad support of the people expected to implement them (teachers) and those most directly involved (parents on behalf of their children). What we have now are tests that are educationally valid, check the progress of the child against the curriculum and cannot be used for any other purpose.

John Patten might care to note that in conversation with education officials in New Zealand we were told that they are looking to the Scottish model with interest while regarding the English experience of tests as 'a cautionary tale'.

Yours sincerely,

DIANA DALY

Director, Parents' Coalition

Aberdeen

JUDITH GILLESPIE

Convener, Scottish Parent

Teacher Council

Edinburgh

10 April