Balls accuses schools of causing Sats stress

Anthea Lipsett Thursday July 3, 2008 EducationGuardian.co.uk The schools secretary, Ed Balls, has drawn fire for accusing primary schools of "stressing" children over Sats tests. In an interview with the New Statesman magazine published today, Balls said some teachers traumatise seven-year-olds by giving them advance warning of exams. "It's totally the wrong way of doing things," he told the magazine. "No seven-year-old should ever know they are doing Sats. "The best headteachers will ensure that no six- or seven-year-old knows they are doing Sats. I promise you that is the case. If you are telling pupils in Year 2 that they are doing Sats next week, then that's the wrong thing to do. You should not be stressing the children. Balls insisted that the national curriculum tests for seven-year-olds do not have to be traumatic and... [read full story]