Teachers' union demands abolition of SATs and GCSEs to improve wellbeing
- The National Education Union is urging the Labour government to overhaul current education policies to enhance wellbeing.
- The union proposes to eliminate all government high-pressure testing in primary schools and reduce GCSE exam reliance.
- These changes aim to address concerns about the educational standards and wellbeing of both students and staff.
In the United Kingdom, the National Education Union (NEU) has proposed significant changes to the education system as part of its response to Labour's curriculum review. The union is advocating for the elimination of high-pressure testing in primary schools, specifically Year 6 SATs, and reducing the significance of GCSE and A-level exams. They argue that the current reliance on these assessments negatively affects both student and staff wellbeing, advocating instead for multi-modal assessment methods. The NEU also wants to decrease the curriculum content in various subjects at the secondary level while suggesting further reductions in primary education. This proposal acts as a direct challenge to Conservative education reforms established under former Education Secretary Michael Gove, aimed at raising educational standards.