Now this is some of what I meant to say in a slightly over-heated conversation with one of the few very successful products of the educational system, who couldn't for the life of him see why testing is not the measure of all things and indeed may be anathema to learning.
Thanks, JFK.
yep, when they say that "Schools are there to benefit the children in them. It (Blair's) is an approach that has led the Government to value only what can be measured."
ReplyDeleteIf your highly educated, successful school product couldn't see how 'testing is not the measure of all things and indeed...' IS an anathema to learning very often, then he isn't such a successful product after all!! A lot of people with few qualifications can grasp that one!
Anyway, if you want to give him/her another fantastic argument to support your point, I recommend this amazing book by Virginia Axline, called 'Dibs in search of self'. I've just finished it and it is the first book to really get through to me how our speech towards children (let alone exams) can be forcing them to live our agenda and to lose their way instead.
D