NASUWT calls on Northern Ireland minister to suspend computer based assessment
The NASUWT, the largest teachers’ union in Northern Ireland, will be meeting with the Education Minister John O’Dowd tomorrow (Thursday) to press for the suspension of computer based assessment (CBA) in schools.
The Union is calling for CBA to be suspended, both as a result of the technical problems being reported with the system and also because of the excessive workload pressures it is causing teachers.
The NASUWT will also be calling for suspension of the CCEA cross-curricular assessments in communication and maths which were introduced for pupils in Keys Stages 1, 2 and 3 last September.
The NASUWT believes the assessments are creating an unnecessary bureaucratic burden on schools and undermining the professionalism of teachers. Union members are already taking industrial action to combat the excessive workload this is causing.
Chris Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT, said:
“This computer based assessment has been plagued with technical problems.
"Teachers are reporting deep concerns about the increased workload caused by the system and stress being placed on pupils.
"We will be asking the Minister to halt and urgently re-examine the process.
“A more detailed pilot needs to be undertaken and completed to allow full and rigorous evaluation.
“Teachers have already been wrestling with the adverse impact of the CCEA assessments.
“So severe were the problems that NASUWT members have been taking industrial action to combat the excessively bureaucratic paper trail the process demands.”
Seamus Searson, NASUWT Northern Ireland Organiser, said:
“The NASUWT will continue to act to protect members from the excessive workload and bureaucracy which is undermining their professionalism and diverting them from focusing on meeting the needs of pupils.
"Teachers need to be able to focus on their important role of teaching and leading and managing teaching and learning, not on producing masses of paperwork which have no benefit to pupils' educational progress."
ENDS
Lena Davies
Press and Media Officer
NASUWT
0121 457 6250 / 07867 392 746
lena.davies@mail.nasuwt.org.uk
-01.png){kind=spacer}