ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to explore some of the complex issues raised as schools try to work on both the intrinsic and the symbolic value of the outcomes of educational processes. The agenda for this debate was set by the report of the Task Group on Assessment and Testing (TGAT). The secretary of state's terms of reference for TGAT revealed the complex of cultural and functional purposes to be fulfilled by the new system. The main purpose was 'to show what a pupil has learnt and mastered, so as to enable teachers and parents to ensure that he or she is making adequate progress and to inform decisions about the next step.' The attainment targets will become the gold standard against which educational progress will be measured for individual pupils and which will be the basis for measuring the educational wealth creation of teachers and teaching establishments.
