THIS YEAR'S boycott by teachers of the SATs dealt a major (though not decisive) blow to the Tories' plans to ket place.
League tables of test results tween schools as parents exercised illusory choice between "good" and 'bad" schools based upon the most unsophisticated (i.e. relatively cheap) of performance indicators.
The teachers boycoll, al though driven by deep-rooted opposition to the Tories' education project, was presented in terms of workload in order to genuine 'trade dispute'.
Fragile alliance
Differences between the unions - the NUT at least raising the educational arguments in contrast to the NASUWT's and moderate ATL's exclusive focus on workload - makes their The challenge for the Tories was to make sufficient concessions to undermine union opposition whilst keeping their overall aims intact, This deltcate task was entrusted to Sir Sir Ron's interim report at the beginning of the summer Cross-union unity can win holiday reveals him to be a more sophisticated operator than his supposed master, John Patten.
Firstly, the time the SATs are expected to take has been restares (19 ycar ous Trom 1en hours to 6.75 hours and at Key Stage 1 the overall time for testing of children of average attainment will be reduced by half'.
Secondly, the number of subjects to be assessed is also to be restricted to the core of science maths and English for three years, thereby attempting to de use the opposition of technology, geography, history. art. music and PE teachers whose subjects were to be "fed in' from 1994 onwards.
Appealing directly to the ers. Sir Ron had said that there will be no need to continue with the bureaucratic nightmare of "tick lists' recording every ele. ment of pupils' achievement, In addition to these "workload' issues, he also proposes an investigation into the ska ol "value added" as an alternative to crude league tables.
Unfairness
Such an idea would appeal to many teachers and union bureaucrats who oppose the current SATs with their overt 'unfairness" and which fail to nomic background of students. notion of league tabling which we are opposed to but there is a large slice of "liberal opinion' which would buy the idea.
Along with these proposed changes to assessment, Sir Ron changes to the National has had to walk the tightrope between rightwing clamouring for a retum to basics' and the obvious overload of the curculum the teachers and pupilsexpeHis formula of a greater skill of reading, writing and number' ensuring 'some familtarity with basse information technology skills' whilst the 'statutory curriculum, with religious educa tion, would be reduced to 80 - 85 per cent of teaching time (ar Key Stage 2)' leaves Sir Ron teetering in mid-air.
It remains to be seen upon which side he will Tail: towards a more prescriptive national curriculum or one with greater choice for schools and pupils.
The Tories, having suffered a bloody nose over the SATs are no longer in the position of exercising their preferred option of sunny chicooing to senc day or year to incorporate all of their pet curricurum pius the "peripherals' of drama, sociology etc.
Sick Patten In 'response' to Sir Ron's interim report, Baroness Blatch, ing for her 'sick' superior John Patten) accepted the recomPatten menesisis and made onic 3ig nificant addition:
"The Secretary of State will publish only national aggregate results of the assessments of 7 and 14 year olds, but those republished school by school in performancc labics. Enis will also apply to the results in 1993 (what re. sults? - these were the boy. cotted tests!) GCSE results will continue to be published in school performance tables.
League tables
Does this mean that the Tories have conceded defeat? Of course not. The decision to publish league tables of results for Key Stage 2 (the new 11-plus) from 1995 and the recent offensive over truancy tables show that. at best, the focus has shifted.
Teachers returning to work this term were met with a glossy brochure detailing the procedure for next year's SATs, despite the fact that Dearing rocommenco there oe a perod of review.
Socialist teachers (mostly organised within the NUT, which has the position that the boycott must continue) must force their unions to hold their boycott position whist coaching inc very notion of an education market and competition.