Published at 16:11, Tuesday, 25 September 2012

THE exams system is “a statistical monster that no-one seems to understand”, a teachers’ union has said.

And new qualifications – such as the English Baccalaureate – will not do enough to solve “deep problems” that exist in the assessment of pupils, according to the National Association of Head Teachers.

Russell Hobby, the NAHT general secretary, said the union’s 28,500 members in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are demanding politicians tackle flaws in the education system as they approach the party conference season.

Unveiling the NAHT’s aims for the 2012-13 school year, Mr Hobby said the recent GCSE grades crisis is just one example of a wider problem.

“We have seen the recent disruption caused to many young people’s lives by the decision to change GCSE grade boundaries mid-way through the academic year,” he said.

“This alone has thrown up wider concerns about the state of school assessment across all phases of education from five to 18.

“The exam system has become a statistical monster that no one seems to understand, be able to predict or control.”

He said teachers were under pressure to “teach to the test”, and an “exam optimisation” has developed in schools, which narrowed and impoverished education.

Mr Hobby said “perverse incentives” for teachers lead to “wrong choices” being made for students, such as early entry to exams.

The general secretary welcomed the introduction of the English Baccalaureate, but said it did not tackle the problem that already exists in schools, that pupils are not assessed on participation in a wider spectrum of disciplines, such as sport and music. He said: “The award of a complete certificate for the English Baccalaureate should require evidence of broader activity in sport, culture and the arts and civic responsibilities such as volunteering.”

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