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Quarter of 11-year-olds fail in 3 Rs
Tim Ross and Peter Dominiczak1 Apr 2009
MORE than a quarter of pupils leave primary school without mastering both English and maths, according to government figures released today.
In some London boroughs as many as one in three 11-year-olds failed to reach the expected academic level for their age in the subjects.
Critics said the figures revealed the Government's failure to ensure that all children master the "three Rs", widely seen as a crucial preparation for future schooling and work.
The latest statistics from the Department for Children showed that:
● 27 per cent of pupils in England did not achieve the Government's target for the age group of level 4 in both maths and English last year.
● In Hackney, 35 per cent of primary pupils fell short of the target for English and maths combined, while in Haringey 34 per cent were below level 4.
● In Richmond 81 per cent passed both the English and maths tests and in Kensington the pass rate was 81 per cent.
The results came amid anger from teachers over league tables, which today rank schools on the basis of their results in last year's troubled Sats. The results for more 1.2 million children in primary and secondary schools were delayed after a series of blunders hit the marking system. Government exam agencies permanently lost results from four London primaries amid the chaos.
Teachers said 11-year-olds who had worked hard for their tests have been "destroyed" after being told they will never know their results. The Evening Standard's primary school league tables, ranking state schools on their results in maths, English and science Sats, revealed the scale of damage done by the marking fiasco.
The four schools included in the London rankings despite suffering lost grades in some subjects, were: Telferscot primary in Balham, Kenmont Primary in Kensal Green, Scotts Park in Bromley and Little Stanmore in Edgware. Eleanor Donegan, business manager at Telferscot, said the loss of children's papers had had "a really bad effect on the school".
"The children were destroyed by it all," she said. "They will probably be affected when they are put into streams in secondary school. The children worked incredibly hard and it all turned out to be for nothing. We believe that our performance in today's league table will not be a true reflection of the school."
Following the debacle, marking company ETS Europe lost its £156 million contract to deliver the tests, the Government's National Assessment Agency was abolished and Ed Balls, the Children's Secretary, abolished Sats for 14-year-olds. Teachers now want him to scrap Sats for 11-year-olds.
Reader views (16)
Education in the UK has been driven into crisis by the Marxist ideology of this government and the utter jobsworths of Education secretaries and ministers who persist in imposing ill-planned 'initiatives on a curriculum already overloaded with busy-work. Teaching to SATS in Primary schools and expecting high school kids to cope with 11 subjects for GCSE is ridiculous and only allows for a shallow and content-lite approach to teaching and learning .
When Primary schools who cope with over 50 languages in their classrooms get little more additional resources than schools filled with native speakers of English, the outcomes are set in stone - the majority of children who begin school with no English will remain disadvantaged. The inability of senior staff to grasp the nettle of unacceptable student behaviour and deal with it in the majority of State high schools is the second most significant barrier to the raising of student achievement.
- Kiwi Expat, London, UK, 02/04/2009 09:30
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What if....... some of the teachers are so poor that they can't spell or add up? No, I'm not having a go, but we have heard that schools can't get rid of poor teachers to employ good ones. If you can't spell or add correctly, how can you teach others?
- Al, Kingstown UK, 02/04/2009 09:10
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The answer is simple, send the dullards back a grade or two until they learn to listen and get it right. Nothing prompts daft kids to lift their game more than a little humiliation in front of their peers.
- Len, Perth, Australia, 02/04/2009 01:20
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Why don't the Department for Education and Skills look at the Barbados model. Societal responsibility and discipline brought about by prison for the parents of truants. Mandatory wearing of uniform at all times. End product... 99.7% literacy rate.
These loony-left nutters in Government treat children with kid gloves and these kids are literally getting away withmurder.
- Tangomike, Kensington, London, 02/04/2009 00:00
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I thought schools were renaming themselves to de-emphasise teaching as the prime function, and that poor grades merely reflected deprivation, and should be ignored as they encourage competition. To do so badly when exam standards are dropping must be quite an achievement.
- Jon Pennycook, Basingstoke, UK, 01/04/2009 19:25
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Many of us can remember the days of sitting in rows in the classroom with arms folded and with only slates and crayons to do our lessons on. No hi-tec computers in those days. Teachers taught classes of more than 40 pupils on their own, no classroom assistants either. Any child caught misbehaving was likely to feel the sting of the leather strap on their hand and wrist, but no point in complaining to the parents for they would normally take her side.
Strangely enough, most of us mastered the 3 rrr's and were well prepared for secondary education. Few yong girls became pregnant outside of marriage and those who did were regarded as social outcasts.
However, there were no distractions in the shape of computer games and television, only radio and books for the young to enjoy.
Sex education at school was unheard of. Most of the young people were married in their late teens and early twenties.
I don't know if yesteryear was better than today, only that 12 year olds were better educated. Times have changed beyond recognition and the ethnic structure of the entire country has changed as has the moral structure. I rather think we oldies may have the best years but then I would, wouldn't I.
- George, Cambridge UK, 01/04/2009 18:08
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Val Daniels - How Dave constructs his sentences is no concern of yours. The fact is that despite ploughing billions of pounds into education the Government is still failing a quarter of our children.
How is this possible given we have had 12 years of New Labour.
- Ian Gilbertson, Newcastle, 01/04/2009 17:50
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Don't worry the Government will lower the targets, instruct markers to be more generous and low great improvement will follow.
- Frank, Dorchester Dorset, 01/04/2009 17:19
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3Rs? Reading, riting and ruddy numbers?!
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 01/04/2009 17:02
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#Dave
From your spelling I would imagine you were one of a similar number under a previous Conservative Government during the period 1979 - 1997? I don't suppose you blame the then government for your poor spelling, no I thought not.
- Val Daniels, Mijas Costa, Spain, 01/04/2009 16:02
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So take the test again. If there is TRUE learning going on, there shouldn't be a problem.
- Trunk, US, 01/04/2009 15:31
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Butterfingers !
- Peter Haldane, London, 01/04/2009 14:54
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What does anyone else expect from this Gov?
They are not able to manage anything it would seem other than milking the system for everything they can for themselves
- Mike, London England, 01/04/2009 14:03
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This whole story gives the lie to the line that SATs are to test the school, and the quality of teaching, not the individual pupil. Are teachers incapable of assessing their own children themselves?
If these children end up in the wrong stream, their abilities will quickly show that they need to be moved. Won't they? Or have we got a covert 11-plus going on here?
- Mdj E10, london uk, 01/04/2009 13:46
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Is there any Whitehall Dept that is not now dysfunctional under this useless government? You'd think they'd at least be good at giving money to the feckless but they can't even do that (cf Tax Credits)!
- Chris, Brighton, England., 01/04/2009 13:05
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Disgustingly, after the horrendous failings of the Home Office, Department of Health, Social Services, Defence Ministry, British Inteligence Agency, the Metropolitan Police and the FSA, Education is the latest Deparment of State to become 'not fit for purpose' under this dissasterous Labour Government!
No wonder Crash Gordon is desperately keen to 'move forward'.
Somebody please point him towards the door, and shove him hard!
- Dave, Cumbria, 01/04/2009 10:38
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