Swinney announces independent review of testing for P1 pupils

AN independent review is to be carried out into the controversial policy of testing five-year-olds.

John Swinney, the Education Secretary, said he believed the P1 assessments were valid, but that an “independent, evidence-led review” should determine their future.

The move comes after opposition MSPS voted for ministers to halt the tests earlier this year following criticism from some parents and teachers.

Mr Swinney said the review could ultimately back his view that testing should be “reformed not abolished”, but conceded that it “might” recommend that they be scrapped altogether.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon introduced the assessments for all pupils in P1, P4, P7 and S3 as a response to concerns over falling standards of literacy and numeracy and a lack of consistent data. But, critics claim they are too stressful for the youngest pupils.

In a statement to the Scottish Parliament, Mr Swinney said: “It is important to further evaluate how the assessments are working which is why I have decided to commission an independent review of P1 assessments to reconsider the evidence. While an independent, evidence-based review could conclude that P1 assessment should be reformed, the review could also recommend a halt to the assessments.”

The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) union, which has opposed P1 testing, said any review of the evidence should have taken place before the introduction of the assessments.

Larry Flanagan, the union’s general secretary, said: “EIS members have serious reservations over the educational value of standardised assessments at all stages, but particularly in relation to testing of four and five-year-old children.

“We are disappointed therefore that a delay has been engineered around a decision to end compulsory P1 assessments.”

Sue Palmer, chair of the Upstart Scotland charity which has campaigned against P1 testing, added: “Mr Swinney has passed the responsibility for deciding whether P1 children should be tested to an independent review. If it attends to the international evidence, it will drop the tests.

“The tragedy is that such a review should have been appointed before the P1 tests were developed and introduced. Instead, there was minimal consultation and no calls for evidence.”

When Mr Swinney addressed a fringe meeting at the SNP’S autumn conference in Glasgow earlier this month, he said “the debate Parliament had on this a few weeks ago was a disgrace.”

Labour’s Iain Gray yesterday said: “John Swinney demands that we focus on educational arguments, when that is exactly what we did in reaching the conclusion we did a month ago. Parliament listened to teachers, parents and the educational arguments and voted accordingly.”