Weigh that pig!

Today’s news makes me foam with anger. My grandson is five. He is a clever boy with a thirst for knowledge and we often have quite meaningful conversations. But the thought that he could be given tests to rank him in his school makes me so angry. He is a child. Not much more than a baby really.

I’ve already blogged about the importance of play for young children so won’t repeat myself. The two quotes about not making the pig fat by weighing it and the fish climbing the tree come to mind. Anyone know who wrote the ‘pig’ one? I can’t seem to find out.

I can only see this move – one of the latest in a stream of ill-informed government decisions for education – alienating little ones and giving them a hatred of school and education. It might be great for Johnny and Johnny’s mum and dad to find out he is ‘top of the class’ but what about those at the bottom of the pile? Add to that the fact that a test is only a snapshot of one moment in time and only measures set objectives and it looks like a recipe for disaster. Children are individuals. They each have strengths and weaknesses. Every child is good at something. An early years or key stage 1 teacher is the expert at observing and noting constantly how every child is doing.

It is time we trusted our teachers to bring out the best in our children, allowing them to grow through play, forming relationships, communication and using imagination. And you can’t measure that!