Nicola Sturgeon Unveils National Testing for Primary School Children
National testing is to be introduced in Scotland's primary schools in a bid to improve educational achievement, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced.
The SNP leader said that ensuring youngsters do better in classes is arguably the single most important objective'' in her legislative programme for the coming year.
She announced to MSPs at Holyrood that new national, standardised assessments would be brought in for pupils in primaries one, four and seven, as well as for youngsters in the third year of secondary school.
Ms Sturgeon said: I have no desire to see crude league tables that distort rather than enhance our understanding of children's attainment and school performance.
However, I am determined that we make available much more information about performance in primary and lower secondary school.''
As well as announcing eight Bills are to be brought forward in the coming year, the SNP leader set out how she plans to use new tax and welfare powers that are being handed to Scotland in the wake of the independence referendum.
But she said the limited welfare powers'' in Westminster's Scotland Billfall far short of what we would need to fully mitigate the harm caused by UK Government policies''.
If the SNP are still in power after next May's Holyrood elections, Ms Sturgeon said a Social Security Bill would be introduced in the first year of the new parliament to pave the way for a new Scottish social security system.
This will make provision for the earliest possible abolition of the bedroom tax'', the First Minister said.
Meanwhile, the Scottish Government will invest #100 million this year in a bid to lessen the impact of the UK Government's welfare reforms, with the SNP leader pledging: We will continue to stand against a UK Government that imposes austerity on the vulnerable while preparing to spend billions renewing Trident.''