The Association of Teachers and Lecturers, the third largest teacher’s union in Britain, wants standardized testing abolished for students under the age of 16. A study of 50 schools concluded last spring that national literacy and mathematics standards had been raised. The government says that the tests are “integral” to continuing efforts to improve education. The ATL believes that over testing has damaged the confidence of students with lesser abilites. The ATL reports that teachers believe the tests of 7, 11, and 14 year olds have “gone too far”. They report a perception that teachers are evaluated less on the … Continue reading →