Unions are urging a cut in tests on times tables and grammar at primary schools. The Mail has more.
Ministers are facing pressure to make the compulsory basic maths checks in Year Four optional as they can be a “waste of time”.
The most difficult grammar questions would also be removed from year six SATs, under the ideas.
The move – reportedly being put to Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson as part of a review – would effectively roll back the Tory Government’s push for a tough elementary curriculum.
Former Schools Minister Nick Gibb warned it would be a “retrograde step” and “damage the life chances of the next generation of young people”. …
Mr. Gibb said: “All the evidence is that children knowing their times tables by heart is an essential precondition for more sophisticated mathematics, particularly things like simplifying equations and algebra.
“It would be a huge mistake to abolish a very simple computer-based test which actually children enjoy doing.”
Worth reading in full.
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It is clear to me having been educated in the 50’s and 60’s that the current state of affairs in education is lamentable in comparison.
To be able to express yourself using correct grammar is, I believe, a basic requirement.
A couple of years back I read of a northern university saying that correct grammar is elitist.
How ironic that many well educated people in India speak better grammatical English than indigenous British.
The standards of literacy and numeracy of school-leavers after 11 years of “ejukashun, ejukasun, ejukashun” is much lower than in the 19th Century elementary schools, when there was an explosion of interest in literature.
I suppose complete lack of literacy and numeracy is the goal to ensure a ready supply of compliant drones in our brave new World to come.
Spot on!
The Unions will be briefed by Starmers regime !
Two things occur to me
1) They want the tests scaled back because the teachers struggle with them. Flippant but could not resist.
2) Talk about low expectations and taking away agency from the kids from “disadvantaged backgrounds” – how about helping them to pass the tests and escape their “disadvantage”? Patronising much? as the youngsters put it.
MathsArithmetic is white privilege.If only it were!
And yet the Soviet Union ensured that the brightest pupils got the best education so they could do their best for the state and for example launch the first satellite and put the first man in space.
WHY?——–Is the social justice not covering up the fact that some kids are just brighter than others? That is why some become Surgeons and others empty the wheelie bins. —-We should just accept that those that empty wheelie bins are part of society, and we cannot all be Surgeons, Physicists, and Visiting Fellows.
I think Wheelie Bin Emptiers, or Dustbinmen, should be more highly valued in society. Where would we be without them?
Knee deep in it.
Much as it pains me to say this: primary school kids do not need to know the terms ‘fronted adverbial’ or ‘modal verb’ or ‘split digraph’. However they do need to be guided when they pronounce ‘like’ as ‘lick’ or similar. Or ask something like ‘Do you got a pin?’
As for times tables. Yes, kids need them. Test them until it’s completely automatic.
Maybe not, but they do need to know what pronouns are.
Brilliant. 🙂
But they do need to know subject, predicate, adverb, adjective, noun, punctuation, how to construct sentences, compose prose, be articulate.
I agree, the times tables are essential and a good way of improving one’s memory. I have taught Year 11 pupils who didn’t know their times tables. It was a sorry sight to see them counting up on their fingers! It also slowed them down on other maths topics.
Well I don’t see how the Sturmer Party can refuse, after all along with making children poorly surely leaving them ignorant and ill educated is a perfect match.
Unfortunately, that photo makes Bridget Phillipson look as though she has been taking lessons from Kamala Harris! Has Bridget learned to cackle too?
She is not much good for anything else. Blow Up Betty Doll.
Unions Let’s Make Children Thicker
Exactly! Well and succinctly said!
The great American Patriot Charlotte Iserbyt described this Communist agenda in her book “The Deliberate Dumbing Down of America”. She said their motto was: “Target the Resisters”.
They just want to bring children down to the teachers’ level of intelligence.