The Children’s Laureate has backed thousands of parents taking their children out of schools today across England in protest at rigorous new tests for infants.
More than 40,000 parents have signed a petition calling for a boycott of primary school tests, which are due to be taken this month.
Parents supporting the Let Our Kids Be Kids campaign have complained of a damaging culture of over-testing.
One rally in Brighton attracted hundreds of parents and children who listened to speeches against the new primary school tests, including one by Chris Riddell, the Children’s Laureate.
Protesters gathered with home-made banners bearing slogans such as “Let our kids be kids” and “Learning should be fun – stop Sats” while attending workshops and participating in yoga classes.
Advertisement
The rallies are being held in protest at the impact of primary tests, called Sats, which are taken by seven and 11 year-olds.
The tests are being made more difficult after changes to the syllabus, but have been criticised for creating a “dull, dry curriculum”.
Speaking at the rally, Mr Riddell, declared: “Today, kids will learn it’s OK to disagree with government policy.”
Also circulated was a caricature of Nicky Morgan, the education secretary, with the caption “I’m worried about Nicky.”
“She needs to take the day off and enjoy reading a good book (a school librarian can recommend one and Nicky won’t be tested afterwards.)”
Advertisement
Davy Jones, co-chairman of the Brighton and Hove Green party, said that contrary to expectations, “parents were surprised by the scale of the support they got. So many parents had sent messages of support.”
He defended the rally, saying: “The kids weren’t just having a day off. The event had speeches, workshops, yoga classes for the kids. This is Brighton, don’t forget.”
Criticising the “sausage factory mentality” attributed to the government education policy, he said that children need to be given the freedom to learn intuitively rather than “being tested every five minutes”.
Jane Clout, a grandmother from Brighton, kept her two grandsons, aged six and eight, off school in protest at the changes.
She said: “Some of my grandson’s friends have been in tears at night, some of them have been having tummy aches, which is a sign of stress. It is just so sad.
Advertisement
“I’m a grandmother and I sent my children through the state system in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and when I first started taking these boys to school I was struck by how primary schools have improved.
“But this is like going back to the 1950s.”
Kit Messenger, a former head teacher who quit the profession after 23 years, claiming schools are “factory farming” children, told Good Morning Britain on ITV that she believes in pushing children on their reading, writing and grammar.
But she said this should not be at the sacrifice of other essential skills such as resilience and interpersonal abilities.
She said: “If you look at the quantity that is required for teachers to teach in order for children to be successful in the papers now - it is to the sacrifice of everything else.
Advertisement
Ms Messenger said tests “do not necessarily tell you where children are” and “there is not time within the curriculum” to prepare children for the tests and teach them other skills.
Lucy Powell, the shadow education secretary, said she did not condone the action but claimed ministers had “ridden roughshod” over the concerns of head teachers and parents about Sats.
She said: “This government is creating chaos and confusion in primary assessment in schools, with a huge number of changes to Sats specifications since children started school last September.”
More than 60,000 parents have petitioned parliament to cancel the Key Stage 2 tests for 2016, eliciting a government response which defended the changes, saying: “Not to administer the tests would be to undermine our shared goal of giving children the best possible start in life.”
Ms Morgan warned that removing children from school “even for a day is harmful to their education”.
Advertisement
Nick Gibb, the schools minister, said: “These tests are vital in helping schools to ensure that young children are learning to read, write and add up well.
“The truth is, if they don’t master literacy and numeracy early on, they risk being held behind and struggling for the rest of their lives.”