Parents support teachers - Boycott Sats - Kids' Strike May 3rd

[SuzieAllkins]

I am hoping that parents have heard of the Kids' Strike on May 3rd which has been set up by an anonymous group of parents who say 'Enough is enough'?' Their campaign supports schools in trying to reach the Government with the message that we need to stop national testing and let teachers teach in the way that they know is best. As a former primary school teacher (who used to administer Year 6 SATs) and a parent of two young children I shall be fully supporting this campaign on 3rd May by taking my school aged child out of school for a fun day of learning. I do not want my children to become stressed and develop a negative attitude to learning. Although the school my eldest attends is wonderful in developing the 'whole child', the pressure is on the teachers to 'perform' and submit figures to reach unreachable targets. It is wonderful to see, on the Letthekidsbekids website that so many head teachers and teachers are supporting this campaign and are saying thank you to parents for helping their voice to be heard. Our children are too young to be put under pressure like this - the new curriculum's demands are bewildering to me! Children at the age of 6 and 10 years are expected to know grammatical knowledge which even scholars in the subject can't answer!! These are not skills which will set our children up for life. There are many around the country who are supporting this campaign. If you haven't heard about it, check out the website to see if you'd like to join in on Tuesday!

I don't think anyone is boring on this thread. It's a discussion. You cannot brow beat people into accepting your opinion if they have a different one. If you have had enough of the discussion then leave it, there is no need to start throwing around childish insults

Your guess is as good as Nicky Morgan's Twig ...there is no sense whatsoever in subjecting 6 and 7 year olds to the testing conditions for test results that won't be reported anywhere.

Common sense seems to be absent

It's not even just about the tests. The whole system needs an overhaul. Children need to work at a more individual pace. They need time to consolidate new learning. I think protest against testing takes the spotlight away from where it's really needed. Children have always been tested. It's the pressure on the teachers to get them to pass tests which is the biggest problem imo.

Nicky Morgan is speaking at the NAHT conference and says the tests aren't pass or fail ...hilarious if we weren't talking about real children!

Thank you faire - I'm open to being persuaded; but I've yet to be given exainations as to the purpose and intent of this action beyond expressing dissatisfaction about a wide range of differing issues - not all of which everyone involved shares.

The fact that I'm being subject to derision rather than being given explainations only goes to increase my doubts that there is a sound motive behind this action.

Historically, the floor standard has identified only a small proportion of schools every year which are below that standard - and this year I can reassure you that no more than 1% more schools will be below the floor standard than last year.

Eh? How can she promise that? Is she promising Heads she will rig the data?

They are all interlinked issues that contribute to the overall parental disquiet with current educational policy which I'm sure you realise.

I do understand that mrz, but being interlinked is not the same as being universally rejected.

There are so many opinions being voiced, so many variations of what would need to change in order for parents to be happy/satisfied, that it will be impossible to reach a consensus, no matter how many changes are made to current and proposed education legislation and practice.

So, what is it that taking action on Tues will achieve? What message will I be sending government if I remove my DD from school that day?

The fact that I'm being subject to derision rather than being given explainations only goes to increase my doubts that there is a sound motive behind this action.

Yes, I can quite see how you would decide to judge an entire campaign on one person on the internet's boredom at your obtuseness. That's completely reasonable.

In an extract from Nicky Morgan's speech today

'In countries like Korea and Singapore, the proportion of functionally literate and numerate pupils aged 15 is over 90%, according to the 2012 PISA survey. In Ireland the proportion of functionally literate pupils aged 15 is more than 90% too, but in England it’s only 82%, and only 77% are functionally numerate.'

So if we are so in awe of those countries that perform better than the UK, why don't we look at how and why they are doing better and follow their example?

Ireland has a similar demographic to the UK so it is probably the best comparison to the UK school system.

In Ireland they can start school from age 4-6, with most choosing to go aged 5. There are 2 years at reception level before years 1-6. The primary school day is shorter and the school holidays are longer. The curriculum is broader and the children also have to learn to read, write and speak the Irish language. There is no formal testing in primary, no levels, no targets and no Ofsted.

So Nicky Morgan, our kids start school younger, have longer school days and less holidays. They are drilled, tested, levelled, targeted, inspected and ranked, yet they still perform worse than countries that do none of these things. So why oh why do we continue making our kids miserable if this is not working?

Is she promising Heads she will rig the data?

Of course she is. At KS2 they are setting the grade boundaries after the tests are sat, and at KS1 they had a sample of pupils sit them before the others to set the boundaries.
You don't think they are actually going to set the boundaries based on the actual expectations of what a child that age should be able to do, rather than looking at what kids that age can do then fiddling the pass grade to fit their agenda?

They've already said outright that that's what they're doing with the new GCSEs.

feenie are you an English teacher? I didn't say I'd made a decision, based on your comments or anyone else's. I said that the lack of explanation increases my doubts that there is one.

As for "my obtuseness" I ask again - are pupils expected to "understand" a concept or idea once it has been explained in a way the teachers believes they should understand, or Is a lack of understanding amongst students a reflection of the quality of teaching?

Rigging the tests boundaries won't make a difference to the results in KS1 though. Not when the teacher assessment expectations are set so high.

I'm sure I will have several children who do ok in the tests but will still be below expectations because they're less secure in one particular aspect.

Floor standards don't apply to KS1 do they?

All parents want their children to be well educated and to thrive and succeed. What I think the parents who will be removing their children from school on Tuesday object to is the current government's assertion that this can only be achieved by following the far eastern model of learning by rote, testing and long school days when it clear there are alternatives (like the Finnish model) which achieve great results without compromising on children's mental health.

Parents are generally concerned for their children's education and well-being and the way the teaching profession is being undermined and wish to draw attention to this in a very visible way. Isn't that enough, at least to begin with, TimeforaNNChange?

Jumpingship she hasn't done the actual tests yet so her class hasn't been organised so that children can't possibly copy answers from another child, they haven't been escorted to the toilet by a member of staff in case they cheat, they haven't had wall displays covered to remove any possible support ... I imagine there is a clock but I don't imagine they ever use it to pace themselves (more likely to see how far off lunch or break is) ...I'm sure no child is going to be oblivious to all of that.

twig thank you.

Your last line has clarified my thinking.

"Isn't that enough, at least to begin with"

what I'm trying to understand is what is this the beginning of?

The beginning of you understanding the wider concerns of parents who have signed the petition and who will be taking action on the 3rd of May?

The beginning of getting the government to understand that I will not accept the way my children are being educated. What's the alternative? Sitting back and watching everything get worse for the next 4 years until we can hopefully change the government?

The latest statement on the "let our kids be kids" webpage doesn't mention beginnings. And is unequivocal in the message the action on Tues is intended to send

On May 3rd we are taking our children out of school as a protest against a government imposed testing system which we feel is harmful to our childrens’ confidence, self esteem and in some cases their mental health.

It's a protest about the tests. Not the curriculum. Not teachers workload. Not privatisation of schools. Other parents seem to have added their own agenda and meaning to their action.

And no one minds! Isn't life strange?

That's how direct action happens, time.

There isn't a script. It evolves and develops, with different strands.

Although the central tenet of dissatisfaction with current education policy means it has more coherence than anything that's come out of the DFE for quite some time.

Twig's "beginning" was a turn of phrase which I'm sure you know.

TimeforaNNChange

Clearly the timing of the action means the main immediate focus will be on the upcoming SATS tests. However, The text below is taken from the suggested wording for a letter for parents to send to their schools to inform them that their child will not be at school on Tuesday and mentions both academies and curriculum:

A great number of parents nationwide are growing extremely concerned by the attitude taken by the Government towards the education of our children. We feel strongly that initiatives such as constant and early testing and academisation are being implemented without due consideration for the implications, and that as a result our children face unnecessary testing and a curriculum that limits enjoyment and real understanding.

Does that help?