Regular tests 'narrow curriculum'

Advocates say testing has made schools accountable

Regular testing in schools narrows the curriculum, placing too much emphasis on certain aspects of core subjects, a leading academic has told the BBC.

It comes after controversy over the marking of Sats tests taken by hundreds of thousands of 11-year-olds in England this week and a critical report by MPs.

"Speaking and listening isn't tested, so it doesn't get much attention," Professor Margaret Brown said.

But ex-government advisor Conor Ryan said schools had to be "accountable".

Teachers 'not confident'

In an interview with the BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Prof Brown, who specialises in Maths education, said schools were concentrating on core subjects "throughout the whole school period more than they should be".

Most teachers are not that confident and they feel that, really, to make sure that they get good results they have to keep pretty well to practising to the test Prof Margaret Brown

"And also, then within those subject teachers concentrate on particular aspects," she said.

"For example, speaking and listening isn't tested, so it doesn't get much attention in Maths. Using and applying Maths doesn't get much attention. It's mainly short, written items.

"Some teachers who are really confident can get away with doing the full curriculum and they actually get quite good results.

"But most teachers are not that confident and they feel that, really, to make sure that they get good results they have to keep pretty well to practising to the test."

Before the test ... we didn't know what different schools were doing compared with each other. It was done on hunch rather than on actual facts Conor Ryan Former government advisor

But Conor Ryan, who was a special advisor to David Blunkett when he was the education secretary, said tests accounted for a fraction of school time.

At the end of six years of primary school pupils were being tested in a "reasonable selection of their knowledge of England and Maths", he said.

"The problem we had before the test was that we didn't know what different schools were doing compared with each other. It was done on hunch rather than on actual facts.

"We have got a system of accountability with the test - not on its own, we have got Ofsted inspections and parents who visit schools.

"We also have a very rich set of data which now allows teachers to do the sort of assessment more effectively with their children through the year, and to set the sort of goals which are helping to raise standards."

Admin problems

Earlier this week, schools and markers admitted there were problems with this year's national curriculum tests or Sats.

Some schools could not access the registration system they needed to complete so that markers knew which pupils' work they should have.

And a report by the Commons schools, children and families committee published on Tuesday said inappropriate use of national testing could be damaging, with teachers spending too much time "teaching to the test".

ETS (Educational Testing Service) a US-based non-profit organisation, is running England's school tests this year for the first time.