Schoolchildren 'being turned into statistical fodder'

Russell Hobby, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said an over-reliance on league tables risked causing “unseen damage” to the education system.

In a blistering attack on the Coalition, he said children were increasingly being drilled to pass high-stakes tests at the expense of promoting a love of reading, understanding how language works and putting numeracy to practical use.

The comments – in a speech to the NAHT’s annual conference in Brighton – came as the union proposed a wave of industrial action in protest over Government reforms.
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“When you ask someone to achieve a number, without worrying about how they achieve that number, then corruption follows,” said Mr Hobby.
“This is exactly what led to the global financial crisis that they need to cut your pension to pay for.”
He added: “You cannot compel excellence, only obedience. And teaching our young people deserves so much more than that.
“I do not want my own children to be reduced to statistical fodder in support of a good headline. The unseen damage is too high.
“To be literate but not to love a good book, because there's no time to read a whole book for pleasure; to be able to pronounce but not to understand; to be well behaved but not to care; to be disciplined but not ambitious; to be a good citizen and not a rebel; to be healthy but not adventurous.”   link