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Original poster

Libdems will scrap the SATs

17 replies

SunnyLikeThursday · 29/04/2017 17:54

My local libdem candidate Julian Huppert just confirmed that it's Libdem policy to scrap the SATs if they are elected.

I wondered if I could just post this on mumsnet to get the word out. I'd so much like to get the libdems in government and be rid of the SATs before my ds reaches Year 6.

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/09/19/liberal-democrats-promise-to-end-sats-tests-for-primary-school-c/

Thanks!

OP posts:
dotdotdot3 · 29/04/2017 17:57

In the same way they promised to scrap tuition fees?

Biscuit
mrz · 29/04/2017 18:38

They didn't get into power so it's empty promises unless people vote for them

harderandharder2breathe · 29/04/2017 19:03

They won't get power, they may as well promise to send all teenagers on free field trips to the moon

and I will never trust them after the tuition fees debacle

CarrieBlue · 29/04/2017 20:23

They can promise what they like - I don't trust them, even if they get enough seats to form a coalition they're promises count for nothing as they've proved.

Thethingswedoforlove · 29/04/2017 20:27

Don't people think that a) hey have learned their lesson the hardest way possible and b) the tories have become sooooo much worse now they aren't being forced to compromise coz of a coalition with a sensible party? I would rather they had some influence and had to compromise than none at all and we are left to go to rack and ruin by the tories with no opposition there whatsoever.....

Campfiresmoke · 29/04/2017 22:57

Lib Dems are the only party I feel comfortable to vote for. Even if it's a protest vote I feel it will do good to register the strength of feeling against the other 2 parties.
As someone who used to work in the NHS and now has children in education I could in no way live with myself if I voted Tory - there cuts habe gone too far and I am dead against Grammar Schools and what they would do to the leftover 90% of children.
I don't trust Labour with the economy and I wouldn't feel safe with Corbyn in charge of protecting the country. Also I fear he is a bit of dictator (all be it a rather limp lettuce leaf of one) as he refuses to listen to calls from his party to stand down as they have no confidence in him. He is going to cost them the election all because of his super ego not wanting to put the party first and step down.
Ending SATS is just another great reason for me to vote Lib Dem and show which policies I would like to see happen.

CarrieBlue · 30/04/2017 06:39

His party gave him an overwhelming mandate in two leadership elections - why should he stand down to suit the two hundred or so MPs who disagree with him when thousands and thousands of members of his party support him?

The lib dems didn't do that great a job of moderating the Tories whilst in coalition, and allowed an awful lot of the mess we're living with now

Arkadia · 30/04/2017 09:16

If they form a coalition (very, very, VERY unlikely) the manifesto counts for nought. The chance of them getting a majority is nil.
I can understand the protest vote (to some extent), but to protest because they make a promise that is not worth the paper is written on is, I fear, totally meaningless.

Besides, careful what you wish for... We don't have SATS in Scotland. Are we better off for it? I doubt it.

NotCitrus · 30/04/2017 09:26

They had no chance of getting tuition fees policy in with any other party.
They traded it to get pupil premium introduced, which has been a really successful policy.

Any party in a coalition, especially the smaller ones, will have to give up key policies and doesn't deserve to be vilified for it the way the LibDems have been. I firmly believe if they hadn't been there to modify the Tories, there would have been another election and a Conservative Government four years earlier.

mrz · 30/04/2017 09:28

Arkadia you might be interested in

"Providing the support that all our children and young people need is at the heart of the framework. To do that we need to know much more, on a consistent and systematic basis, about the performance of our education system. The National Improvement Framework will allow us to see where we are succeeding and where we need to do more. By doing that, it will help us to raise standards more quickly. At its heart will be a new national standardised assessment for children in primaries 1, 4, 7 and in S3. These assessments will focus on standards of literacy and numeracy. We will also bring greater focus to improvements in the health and wellbeing of children and young people. This will bring consistency, transparency and robustness to the work currently taking place across the country and will support teachers in understanding children’s progress within Curriculum for Excellence."
http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2015/09/7802

Arkadia · 30/04/2017 09:39

I do know. That was supposed to start this year, but now it is not being talked about anymore. No idea why or what is going on.
Let's not forget that the SNP has been doing not very much and education-wise nothing for the last 10 years or so, i.e. since they have been in power.

TeenAndTween · 01/05/2017 17:05

I don't think there is anything intrinsically wrong with SATs (my DD2 did them last year).
What is wrong is
a) The SPaG curriculum (in particular the G bit)
b) The way some schools approach them in a totally OTT way

spanieleyes · 01/05/2017 17:13

I don't even object to the SPAG curriculum ( although the fact that dyslexics who struggle with spelling are hit by a double whammy of the SPAG test and the spelling expectation in the writing assessment is ridiculous) What is wrong is the pressure that is put on schools to be "above average" , meet arbitrary floor standards and achieve ever increasing targets!
Perhaps the conservatives, libdems, labour and everyone else should have a look at

www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-39745884 If the select committee can see the effect of SATS, why can't something be done about them by all parties!

bojorojo · 01/05/2017 20:16

NotCitrus is correct in her analysis of the political realities of a co-alition. Very many manifesto promises are broken it's just that no-one really read Cameron's 670 last time. We just remember student fees.

Sadly the Lib Dems are unlikely to be in Government again. Labour will win seats where they have membership strongholds (membership numbers bear no relation to winnable seats if all the members are in few constituencies) and the Cons will romp home. So don't expect too much change in policy for the next 5 years. It isn't going to happen!

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