According to a report, too much focus on exams in schools in England is harming the mental health and self-confidence of students. According to a report prepared by the National Union of Teachers, students are facing problems such as stress related to exams.
The report, based on a survey of 8,000 teachers and research, found that exam preparation slowed down children's learning. The government says it is committed to ensuring that every child is able to use all their abilities.
The report, prepared by Professor Marin Hutchings of the Metropolitan University of London, is entitled The Impact of Accountability Measures on Children and Youth. According to the report, students' emotional and general health is being harmed in the race for the best performance in exams. The government uses various tests at the national level and examinations to test the performance of schools to get students to the next level.
In the report, many of the teachers who took part in the survey agreed that students were seen to be under a lot of stress or had trouble before the sets or general exams. One teacher said that a ten or eleven year old child is sitting in front of you, nervous and helpless. According to another teacher, I had to send a child home for three days because he was very upset with the results of the recent test and did not want to take any more tests.
According to the report, the emphasis on exams and tests is also damaging the relationship between students and teachers. According to a junior school teacher, I fear that instead of seeing students as individuals, I would see them on the red list (underperforming) or on the green list (underperforming) or Purple is on the list.
NUT general secretary Kevin Courtney says teachers say anything that is not related to the test is not a priority. Schools only see if offset expectations and government targets are being met. As this report shows, schools are close to becoming an examination factory.
A spokesman for the Department of Education said that under the requirements of social justice, we are committed to a certain extent to ensure that every child receives an education that uses his or her abilities. That is why we are raising the standard in the new curriculum and bringing in a system of world-class examinations and accountability that rewards schools whose children deliver the best results.