Parents call for scrapping of Sats

1:42am Thursday 24th July 2008

Parents feel "totally let down" by this year's national curriculum tests fiasco and want to see them abolished, a parents' group has announced.

The majority feel that following the current marking shambles, the results cannot be relied upon, the National Confederation of Parent Teacher Associations said.

Spokeswoman Margaret Morrissey said parents had been contacting the organisation to raise their concerns about the results.

Many had been told by teachers in May that there were concerns over the tests, which are taken by 11 and 14-year-olds.

She said: "Most feel this has been a total let down. Their kids have been through all this stress, and the parents have been through it too."

She said many parents felt ministers should take responsibility for the fiasco, which has seen the late delivery of results for schools across England.

She said: "To hear the secretary of state on the radio, when challenged, not going to take responsibility and say it is a matter for the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) and ETS is not right.

"What's making it even worse is that now all the ministers have gone off on their 11-week summer holidays and parents are at home with children who still haven't got their results."

She said: "How are we as parents going to motivate the next lot of children to take the tests next year. They're already asking what's the point if their tests aren't going to be marked. What can we say to them, they're right."

The comments come as reports continue to flood in of papers going missing, or being returned to the wrong school, as well as problems with the quality of marking.

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