I had some teachers email and call me after the Age in Melbourne today, 13 April carried the story that teachers and principals were being pressured into teaching students across years, 3,5 7 to teach to the test. This in essence means teaching them how to do a test so they perform well.
The rationale given in the Age, is so that our scores in Victoria will look “good” in comparison with everywhere else. It means that children's learning needs are put on hold for some part of each day while we "teach" them how to do the test.
My next editorial will spend some time discussing the issues or the testing regimes we now work under.
It is true that in my experience as a consultant I hear almost every day, the pressure teachers are feeling about proving “results” based upon such a flawed system as a standardised test.
Testing and data and results gained through such tests are nothing more than a misguided notion that we can accurately provide useful information about children’s learning.
It is high time our Governments, both state and Federal starting looking more deeply into meaningful assessment.
Teaching to a test is an insult to the well being and intention of what an holistic education for children should be about. I don’t blame the teachers but I do wish more educators, teachers, schools, academics and parents would start voicing their opposition to these tests and the pressure on teachers for data driven “results”.