Applaud educational achievement but also note the drawbacks of the English system

Last updated 11:34, Wednesday, 20 August 2008

A couple of months ago I was driving to work one day listening to the radio.

This particular morning coincided with the first day of the Standard Assessment Tests (Sats) for 11 and 14-year-olds.

These are tests which are taken by all pupils at seven, 11 and 14 in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science.

On this particular morning, there were a number of dedicated songs for pupils taking Sats from parents and relatives and this got me thinking about the emphasis we put on measuring educational attainment.

This summer the Sats were under the spotlight again with national uproar about why the results were late and whether papers had been marked.

All of this is significant as there is an ongoing public debate about national standards in ‘basic’ subjects. Are our young people equipped for life in a complex and demanding world?

Interestingly this summer there has been another national debate about standards in education which has attracted rather less public interest.

This debate is about whether degrees from universities are always an indication of the achievement of an appropriate level of academic attainment.

It is certainly the case that throughout the higher education (HE) world universities go to great lengths to ensure that their degrees are worthy and this is verified by examiners external to the university and by the national system of audit of HE quality.

The link between these two debates is the idea that how we measure educational achievement is given considerable status in the education system in England.

I say England because of the four home nations England is unique in placing so much emphasis on this.

In this sense, Sats are a measure of the educational achievement of young people, whilst a university degree is a measure for university students.

Depending on your viewpoint, measuring such achievement to the extent the English system demands can be seen as having beneficial elements and detrimental elements.

Two benefits are worth thinking about. Firstly, the measurement of educational achievement gives public confidence in the standards that are being achieved.

If Sats results or the number of students achieving first class degrees are moving upwards year-on-year some would argue that this is an indication of a successful educational system.

Secondly, for school pupils and university students alike, achievement of Sats results or a degree is something that should provide them with a real sense of pride in their achievement. Indeed graduation days at universities are real days of celebration for students and their families.

Yet measuring educational achievement to the extent required in the English system also has its drawbacks.

In schools the Sats results (and GCSEs, A-levels and the soon to be diplomas) are a public statement about the success of that school.

There is therefore an implicit pressure to teach to the test, to prepare pupils for successful attainment, as the outcomes reflect on the school as well as the pupils.

Whilst this may be a good thing in part, the question I would ask is whether, at worst, it compromises the real purpose of education – to create well-rounded mature human beings.

It is right and proper that parents feel pride in their children’s educational achievement, whether this is the Sats results for an 11-year-old or a PhD.

It is right and proper that parents express this pride publicly whether it be through a dedication on the radio or a congratulatory testament in the classified section of the paper.

It is arguably even more right and proper that the more intangible outcomes of education – the pupil who has gained confidence, the student whose life has been changed through studying at university – are applauded loudly.