Is it time to stop excessive testing of our children?

[Abuelita]

Children in the UK, and especially England, are the most tested in the developed world. The OECD (which does the three-yearly PISA tests) found only four countries out of 35 did national exams at the end of primary school and fewer than half had exams at 16+.

Is it time for parents to say enough is enough? If the rest of the developed world can manage without so many tests, then so can we. And it would make life far better for children and their parents.

For more information see www.localschoolsnetwork.org.uk/2015/04/time-to-put-an-end-to-excessive-testing-of-our-children/

I saw a great article Here earlier today, written by a parent, in response to the latest Election pronouncements re Education.

It's so well written, expressing what everybody who actually knows anything about education and the population as a whole have been trying to tell Education minister after Education Minister.

In Scotland we have no formal tests in primary school. The children are tested but parents are not informed of the results. Personally I think this makes it far less stressful and worrying. If tested in P1 my DS wouldn't have performed well, but he has now caught up with his peers in P4. I remember the teacher telling my he "just wasn't ready for formal learning" . If he had performed badly in tests, I would probably have worried more and tried to push him, he has however caught up in his own time.
I think lack of testing in Scotland makes primary schools more of a level playing field and parents aren't worrying about school "Sats scores". There is more of a mix of children in each school. These are assumptions I have made form reading Mumsnet and may be entirely wrong!
It's allows children to finish primary school without worrying about exams. Childhood is short enough as it is!
Do I think education is better or worse in Scotland for lack of formal testing? I can't answer that, but I do think it allows teachers to do their jobs without being under such scrutiny from parents and league tables.