Herts Schools Boycotting SATS

Out of the 354 schools in Hertfordshire that should be testing their pupils through SATS exams this week, only around 239 of them are actually doing it.

Figures from Hertfordshire County Council shows that at least 69 schools in the county are boycotting them, because some teaching unions feel they cause unnecessary stress to both children and schools.

Hilary Bucky is the regional secretary for the eastern region of the NUT. She's been telling Heart that if SATS are scrapped altogether, it doesn't mean an end to testing children:

"They will still be assessed. But this time rather than being assessed on their performance in two very shorts tests on one specific day, they are now going to be assessed in a much fairer way to recognise all the work that they have done throughout the year.

Hilary continued to tell us that this is not something that only teachers feel strongly about, but the parents too:

"We've had a petition going for a couple of months and lots of parents have signed the petition as they recognise that their schools are about a lot more than those narrow results and they see the impact that it has on their children when they don't succeed."

To hear the full interview with Hilary click here.

Hearts been speaking to mums across Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire to see how they feel about the SATS boycotts, and not all of them agree that they should go ahead:

"I think it's quite silly really, I think children should do those things, and I think they should get used to doing that because they are not babies are they at 10 and 11."

"It is a good learning experience, exams. Life is about challenges, exams and tests and yes I do think they should do them."

Well what do you think?

Do SATS put too much pressure of youngsters or are they a valid part of the learning experience?

Leave your comments below...