BRINGING PUPILS INTO SCHOOL TO UNDERTAKE ASSESSMENTS IS UNACCEPTABLE

BRINGING PUPILS INTO SCHOOL TO UNDERTAKE ASSESSMENTS IS UNACCEPTABLE, SAYS THE NASUWT

Commenting on reports that some schools are bringing pupils onsite to compete mock examinations or other assessments, Dr Patrick Roach, General Secretary of the NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union said:

“The Government has been clear that schools are open only for the children of key workers and for those pupils who have been identified as vulnerable.

“Therefore, it beggars belief that some pupils are being required to travel to school to complete mock examinations and other assessments to support the process of producing centre assessed GCSE and A-level grades for exam boards. Ofqual and the Department for Education have confirmed that there is no need for any additional assessment material to be produced to support this process and that examination centres must act in accordance with Government instructions. Such practices must cease immediately.

“The UK is currently in the midst of a public health emergency and attention has rightly been drawn to those individuals who are putting their lives and those of others at risk by ignoring the measures that the Government has put in place. While the vast majority of schools are behaving sensibly in this respect, it is profoundly disturbing that some have decided that the lockdown provisions that apply to everyone else shall not apply to them.

“The NASUWT urges all parents to ignore any requests for their children to attend school to undertake a mock examination or other assessment and to report any such requests to the Department for Education directly. The Union will also intervene robustly to protect any of its members who are instructed by their employer to participate in such reckless and wholly unnecessary activity.”