Glasgow's Conservative group has been allowed to present a fresh proposal to scrap primary one testing at this week’s full council meeting.
Conservative councillor Euan Blockley, who has been campaigning for the council to support headteachers who don’t think standardised testing for P1s is necessary, says this topic should already be “dead and buried”.
Last month the Tories motion was deemed incompetent by council officials as a similar plan, fully backed by Labour and the Greens, had already been submitted to members in November 2018.
Proposals in 2018 were rejected as SNP councillor Chris Cunningham said their idea was “not an instruction but merely an expression of opinion.”
Last month the administration was advised that the same motion could not be heard within a six-month period.
New motion to scrap P1 testing in Glasgow 'incompetent'
Councillor Blockley said: “This is an important motion for the people of Glasgow and I am happy it will be discussed again.
“I am still furious that this issue has not been resolved and that it has taken seven months to speak about it again. I cannot believe we are still having to discuss this. It should be dead and buried.”
Mr Blockley wants the administration to take note of the number of concerns raised by parents, teachers and other education staff regarding P1 testing.
In his motion he urges councillors to understand that there are a variety of different methods available which can be used to determine a child’s progress.
Mr Blockley wants the full council to note the concerns raised in recent months by parents and teachers regarding the use of Scottish National Standardised Assessments at P1 stage.
He continued: “Headteachers and teachers know what is best for their pupils. We don’t want to restrict them – we want to give them more power to do what is right for their class.
“Teachers will be given assurances that if they choose not to test P1, the local authority will back their decision.”
Mr Blockley hopes the council will instruct the executive director of education to write to all head teachers in Glasgow advising them that Glasgow City Council fully supports them if they choose to scrap P1 testing.
