Scottish Government insists standardised tests will not cause harm

Pupil -  credit wecometolearn

The Scottish Government has defended the introduction of standardised testing in reading, writing and maths in P1, P4, P7 and S3 in the wake of criticism of the policy by one of its senior advisers.

It is due to be rolled out in Scottish schools from August.

Yesterday Professor Andy Hargreaves, one of the Scottish Government’s international education advisers, said there was evidence “of testing actively causing ill-being” in pupils.

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A Scottish Government spokesperson did not say whether Hargreaves had raised the issue at meetings of the international education advisers, but said: “We recognise the impact that anxiety about school work can have on children which is why health and wellbeing is a key priority of the Curriculum for Excellence.

"All adults working in schools are responsible for supporting and developing mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing to support successful learning and happy lives. 

“As we have made repeatedly clear, the new standardised assessments are not a return to high stakes testing – they will simply help check progress in literacy and reading, automatically generating information for teachers on where a pupil is doing well and where further support may be required. Teachers’ professional judgement remains the key measure of children’s progress.”