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Upfront

95% say scrap SATs

NUT members have overwhelmingly rejected SATs as a way of measuring pupils’ progress. Of those who voted in the union’s indicative ballot in November, 95 per cent said the current system of SATs at the end of Key Stages 1 and 2 should be abolished. And more than three quarters (76 per cent) said they would be prepared to take action to boycott the tests, should that prove necessary.

The overall turnout in the indicative ballot was just under 25 per cent – very high for such a test of opinion. Among leadership group members who, crucially, would be at the forefront of any boycott, the turnout was even higher at almost 35 per cent. Members of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), which held a similar survey at the same time as the NUT’s ballot, were also strongly in favour of scrapping SATs.

Christine Blower, NUT general secretary, welcomed the results, saying: “The indicative ballot shows an overwhelming rejection of SATs by teachers. It is a huge endorsement for our campaign. These tests are highly damaging to pupils’ education and fail to provide any meaningful information on the work of schools.

“The NUT and NAHT call upon the government to engage urgently in constructive talks about ending the tests and putting in their place alternative assessment that will be of value to pupils, teachers and parents.“

Encouragingly, Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Education, told journalists on 19 November that “the current system is not set in stone”. Announcing plans to publish teachers’ own assessments of pupils alongside their SATs results in 2010, he said he was “absolutely not closing the door on long-term reform”.

In the clearest sign yet that the government is listening to the NUT and NAHT’s demands for an alternative assessment system, Balls added that there would be a “move away“ from formal testing if “objective assessment and validation” could be provided to parents in other ways.

The NUT and NAHT continue to work in partnership to press the government to abolish Key Stage 2 SATs and end the current Key Stage 1 testing arrangements. The two unions will decide on the next steps in their joint campaign at meetings towards the end of January.

In the meantime, the NUT and NAHT will continue to support members to teach a broad and balanced curriculum not skewed by national curriculum testing. If necessary, both unions – which together represent the majority of teachers and leaders in England’s primary schools – will ballot their members for action in time to frustrate the administration of Key Stage 2 SATs in 2010.

PICTURE: Schoolgirl holds up sign saying: 'Dear Mr Balls, thousands say end SATs now'


NUT calls for improved rights for supply teachers

The NUT has welcomed draft regulations, published by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, that would give agency workers equal treatment with permanent staff regarding pay and holidays after 12 weeks in the job. However, the union has serious concerns that many teachers who are employed through agencies would not benefit from the proposals.

The draft regulations state that if there is a break in an employee’s service for six weeks, this would break the continuity of the 12-week qualifying period for equal treatment rights.

The NUT believes it will be all too easy for an agency or hirer to avoid giving teachers access to the new equal treatment rights, by moving them each term or half term. Even if a supply teacher remained working with a single hirer long term, the school summer holidays would inevitably result in a break of continuity.

To address these concerns, the union drafted an Early Day Motion (EDM), which was tabled by Jon Cruddas MP on 8 December. The EDM outlines the potential problems and ‘urges the government to strengthen the regulations before publication to ensure supply teachers can benefit from the equal treatment provisions’.

You can view the EDM, and send an automated email to your MP asking them to sign it to show their support, at www.teachers.org.uk/edm399.
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