NEU criticises reports of gov plan for mandatory year 8 reading test

The National Education Union (NEU) has criticised government plans to introduce a mandatory reading test for year 8 pupils, warning it will harm both staff and students.

It comes following reports in The Times that education secretary Bridget Phillipson is looking to introduce the compulsory reading test under the upcoming schools white paper. 

The government reportedly aims for the test to identify students who are falling behind in reading comprehension – particularly in the early years of secondary school.

Reports also suggested that while results would be published at national level only, and would not initially be broken down to individual schools, the data would be shared with Ofsted, and might also be made available to parents. 

Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the NEU, said the proposal showed ministers were failing to address the real causes of pupil disengagement in secondary schools.

He said: “It is beyond belief that this government’s response to students disengaging in secondary isn’t to consider the impacts on curriculum caused by the tests that already exist in primary, but rather is to suggest an additional test in year 8.”

Kebede argued that assurances about limiting the publication of results were “effectively meaningless”, as future governments could still use the data at school level. 

He added: “All of which would lead to the same consequences we see wherever national test data exist – punitive labelling of schools, narrowing curriculum and increased stress and workload for staff and students.

“The government needs to understand that young people being churned through test after test after test does not automatically equate to high standards. To ensure high standards, young people need a broad and balanced curriculum taught by teachers who are trusted and empowered to support them – this proposal will only work to achieve the opposite.”