http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/7700763/Pupils-to-miss-Sats-in-mass-exam-boycott.htmlThey are unfair to "immigrants" ... right?
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As many as half of 10- and 11-year-olds will fail to take the tests, it has been revealed, in a move that threatens to throw the examinations system into chaos.
Rising numbers of schools have confirmed they will be joining the boycott of English and mathematics tests.
In some areas, all schools are taking part, while in others more than half plan to take action.
Children affected by the protest are expected to proceed with normal lessons.
The industrial action is being staged by the National Union of Teachers and the National Association of Head Teachers after a ballot of members earlier this year.
Activists claim the Sats ruin children’s education as schools are put under pressure to “teach to the test†to boost results. It is also claimed that failure to hit targets puts head teachers’ jobs under threat.
Up to 600,000 children in England’s 17,000 state primary schools were due to sit a reading test on Monday and separate writing and spelling exams on Tuesday. Pupils will take a series of maths tests on Wednesday and Thursday.
The boycott is set to prevent the publication of exam league tables later this year and will also throw Ofsted inspections into chaos as the watchdog relies on exam data as a key barometer of school standards.
Christine Blower, NUT general secretary, said that up to half of primaries were set to join the action.
"We have reports that the numbers of schools boycotting Sats in many areas is close to 50 per cent,†she said. “At that level of participation in the action, it would be impossible to draw up league tables."
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