ABSTRACT
In the previous chapter we argued that of all the issues which have added to the pressures on teachers, that of the high stakes testing regime has been one of the major impediments to teachers’ attempts to improve the quality of their teaching. Instituted originally under the Thatcher government, but ratcheted up by New Labour, there has been a running battle with the teacher unions and with academics whose expertise in assessment has been consistently ignored. The contribution that these tests make to a valid and viable school accountability system has been undermined from the start of New Labour’s time in office by naming and shaming poor performing schools.
