Tests are important - they mean that teachers, parents and children can see where they are, what progress they're making and need to make. But there is too much emphasis on tests. I believe that ch are very stressed and it is partly because of the constant pressure of testing and pressure to achieve the 'next level'. Tests can be motivating, but what about the children who are not good in tests? I have seen children cry during tests because they are under too much pressure.
I do not think that there is a need to "constantly" test school children. I think that testing certainly serves a purpose, as stated by janiebabes it has identified her son's dyslexia, surely this is a positive thing. From my memory of school, knowing that there was a test coming up encouraged me to study for it, at least a little bit. It made me focus on school work, and at the time that was important. As with all things, I think that balance is necessary. There is no point in testing for the sake of it, but periodic tests and certainly year end tests are a good thing which should be encouraged.
I think constant testing is fine for children who acheive well at school. They are then aware of the ability that they have and it looks good on school records. However for poor acheivers I think it must become a dreaded time being tested year after year. I am sure that it must make some children dislike coming into school. Schools need the results for government targets and league tables and parents are then able to see the standard of a school when deciding where to send a son/daughter. Testing must go on but it does seem that in recent years governments have increased the number of tests. Glad I left school in the mid 70s.
Is testing just setting kids up for what will happen when they enter the work place depending on what sort of role they take. If you take a sales role you normally have targets and are expected to meet them weekly or monthly and if you don't measure up results wise you are on performance management or fired so doesn't testing in schools prepare children to a degree for the pressures that they will face as an adult in the real world. Testing is obviously necessarily as a guide as to whether the child has learned or developed the necessary skills and knowledge, I don't know if they have too much testing though. Regular tests on material are easier than have 1 or two big tests as with regular tests you are only having to focus on smaller amounts of learned material whereas left frequent tests require you to cover more material and therefore retain more information so isn't regular testing actually easier on the children with them having to cover less material?
I do not think testing has a negative effect, I found my son had severe dyslexia due to many test that were done through school and they helped him through this, he is never going to be einstein but at least we can conquer other issues that have been found through testing.
We were tested fairly regularly at school. I remember multiple choice papers appearing several times a year and they were for Government statistics. I dont believe that these caused any issue. I dont think anyone in my class really felt pressure, maybe the odd groan when they were given out. But they didnt seem to harm any of us. However the statistics gained by the Government should really show where they should be helping and I dont believe that they really use in for this purpose.
Education