Standardised tests for primary pupils in Scotland could be abolished

Standard tests for pupils as young as five could be scrapped in the wake of a critical review into the national school curriculum.

It has been reported that standardised testing for all of Scotland's primary schoolchildren could be abolished and sampling carried out instead.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) team who reviewed the state of Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence recommended that testing only a sample of children for literacy and numeracy could be a better way of determining pupil achievement.

Standardised tests were introduced by the Scottish Government in 2017, as part of efforts to close the attainment gap, with youngsters being tested in primary one, four, seven and in S3 in secondary school.

Standardised testing could be abolished in Scotland. Picture: Getty Images

However, their use on the very youngest schoolchildren has been controversial, with unions claiming some youngsters had been reduced to tears during the testing process, while increasing the workload on teachers.