Duncan Hames calls for an end to Primary School Key Stage tests

11.54.17am BST (GMT +0100) Fri 15th Jun 2007

Duncan learns about how test in schools have changed.

Duncan Hames, the Liberal Democrat candidate for the Chippenham constituency, has called for an end to forced Key Stage testing in Primary Schools.

"Pupils hate them, parents don't want them, now teachers are telling the government they should go," said Duncan, who is a governor at George Ward School in Melksham, having previously served for four years as a governor at nearby Westwood-with-Iford Primary School.

"It's time the Government realised that schools are not a factory for producing statistics, and instead let teachers conduct assessment individually in a way that lets them get on with teaching," he continued.

Duncan made his comments following the publication this week of the General Teaching Council's (GTC) evidence to Parliament's Education Select Committee, which revealed that "many parents said they consider that too much time is being spent on preparing pupils for external tests, sometimes to the detriment of their academic achievement."

Commenting on David Cameron's proposed visit to schools and colleges in Chippenham today, Duncan added: "Now that the Tory Leader appears to have given up on the 11-plus, I urge him and his candidate for our area to join me in calling for an end to forced Key Stage test for all primary school children."