Should our children be tested by exams?
Many children across the country sat down last week to undertake their SATS (Statutory Assessment Tests), but is it fair to put such pressure on our children at such a young age?
There are a few lines of thought in regards to testing our year 6 children. This is a chance for the children to highlight how much they have learnt over their 3 years at Junior School that will put them in the best possible class when entering year 7. Alternatively, there is a line of thought that suggests this is the schools’ way of showing how good their teachers are in order to attract more pupils.
If we take the angle that both sides probably have an element of truth, is it fair that children in year 6 have this pressure when the majority will be re-tested in year 7 anyway?
Is a one-off exam a true reflection of how much your child has learned in their time at school or how well their teacher has taught them? The best teacher in the world could teach a child everything they knew and more, but if that child isn’t able to retain that information to reproduce in a test environment is that fair?
Would schools and children be better suited to continual assessment in a more relaxed environment that reflects what has been learnt during each module of learning? Would this not reduce the stress level of all children as they focus on the best way to pass a test as opposed to focusing on what they have just learned?
Should we not encourage our children to understand and ask why and not just see what they can remember? Would this not open all children up to a broader learning environment instead of focusing on test questions around core subjects, is someone who isn’t strong at maths not going to reach their potential? Is a child who struggles with literacy not going to become the best they can be?
Children should be tested and they should know where they are strong and areas they need to improve on, but tests in year 6 puts unnecessary pressure on children who aren’t fully developed emotionally and put too much pressure on teachers who are already over worked.