Sats battle on teachers' agenda at spring conferences

By Angela Harrison BBC News education correspondent

A battle with the government over Sats in England looks set to dominate the annual conferences of two of the country's largest teaching unions.

The National Union of Teachers is balloting its senior members on a boycott of the tests taken by 11-year-old pupils.

The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) is also balloting on disrupting this year's tests.

Ministers have urged teachers not to vote for the action.

The ballot began in the middle of March and closes on 16 April - just a few weeks before children in England are due to sit the tests in maths and English.

'Frustrate tests'

Children in other parts of the UK do not take the tests, but are assessed at different times by their teachers. The results are externally moderated.

The unions threatening the boycott say that if there is a vote for action they will tell their members not to open the test papers.

They insist the action would not amount to a strike - but would be aimed at "frustrating" the tests.

The conferences this weekend are of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) and the NASUWT, which is opposed to a boycott.

I think we should take a deep breath and decide to work together and put the needs of children first Ed Balls, Schools Secretary

They are the two biggest unions of classroom teachers in England.

The NAHT, which holds its annual conference later this month, represents many head teachers and deputies in England's primary schools.

The NUT and the NAHT say the tests distort children's education because teachers have to gear their lessons towards them.

But they are also deeply opposed to the league tables compiled from them.

General Secretary of the NUT Christine Blower said: "We will ask head teacher members or other senior teachers who might be in charge on the day not to open the test papers.

"Instead of children sitting the tests, they will be taught or will be doing other things.

Statutory duty

"This is industrial action with no downside."

Schools Secretary Ed Balls has urged teachers not to support the action.

Pupils' learning is narrowed by tests, say the unions

"I think we should take a deep breath and decide to work together and put the needs of children first and that means not disrupting things in the next few weeks," he said.

The government says externally-marked tests are a key element in the drive to push up standards and that parents want to see how their children are progressing.

However, they have been in talks with the unions on the tests and are holding trials on more assessment by teachers.

At their annual conferences last year, NUT and NAHT delegates voted for a ballot on a boycott if efforts to persuade the government to change the system failed.

The government says a boycott of the Sats would amount to a breach of statutory duty.

All the political parties agree that there should be no boycott of the tests. The Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats say they would reform them.

Among other issues due to be debated at the conferences are whether to give children more say on what goes on in schools and complaints about schools inspector Ofsted and the new Academies.

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