Controversial national tests on P1 pupils have been dismissed as “meaningless” and a “waste of time” by teachers.
School staff complained the assessments, brought in by the Scottish Government as part of measures to close the attainment gap, were “inappropriate” for the four and five-year-olds.
The opinions were revealed in a survey on P1 testing, which was part of an independent review commissioned by Education Secretary John Swinney into the use of Scottish National Standardised Assessments on this age group.
Willie Rennie, Scottish Liberal Democrats leader, said teachers’ feedback had “shredded any last pretence that this is a policy which has the support of education professionals”.
He added: “There are no long-term educational benefits to the SNP’s approach, just a stubborn Education Secretary who refuses to admit that he is wrong.”
The assessments were introduced by the Scottish Government in 2017.
Last night Swinney said: “It is nonsense to suggest this report provided anything other than a clear recommendation that P1 assessments should continue. Any suggestion to the contrary is a gross distortion of the truth.
“A clear majority of P1 teachers believed the children in their classes had a positive experience overall, with more than 90 per cent of children saying they were happy doing the assessments.”
