EDUCATION Secretary John Patten has come under fire from two sides
today, as headteachers declared ''diminished confidence'' in him. At the
same time, parents and teachers united in a call for Scottish-style
classroom testing south of the Border. Their move follows a Government
decision allowing Scottish schools flexibility in how and when they test
pupils' progress against each stage of the curriculum -- there will be
no published school league tables, with results known only to class
teachers and parents. The National Association of Parent Teacher
Associations and the National Union of Teachers appealed for a similar
approach in England and Wales, where pupils aged seven, 11, and 14 face
national written tests.
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