Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 25 November 2004
77 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Education and Science her proposals with regard to the introduction of a system of standardised testing at primary level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30461/04]
View answerI am currently awaiting the advice which the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA, is preparing, through its usual consultative and partnership processes, on issues relating to standardised testing for pupils during their compulsory schooling. I do not intend to make any decisions with regard to introducing standardised testing in primary school until after I have carefully considered this advice which I am expecting early in 2005.
I believe standardised tests have high value as one of a range of modes of assessment in helping teachers make more informed decisions in relation to the instruction of pupils in informing parents of pupils' progress and in providing information essential to the identification of pupils that may require additional support. At classroom level, information from standardised tests can be particularly useful in informing individual and group teaching.
The fact that more than 95% of our primary schools currently use such tests in some way is testimony to the value that our teachers ascribe to them. Standardised test results also have an important role to play at the level of the whole school as they provide valuable information for teachers, principals and boards of management when engaging in self-evaluation, a vitally important stage in planning the development and improvement of the individual school.
On a national level, my Department requires access to more regular information than is currently available on trends in pupil progress and on levels of achievement within our education system. I intend to explore the potential of systematised standardised testing in this regard. However, I can give my reassurance that it is not my Department's intention to use the results of standardised tests to compile school league tables. Neither will they be used as a stand-alone criterion in the allocation of resources to individual pupils or individual schools or in the measurement of the effectiveness of individual teachers and schools.
