20th January 2016 1:00
By Blue Tutors
The government has announced a plan to introduce national tests for primary school pupils on their times tables. Under the scheme, every pupil in the country will be tested on their times tables before they leave primary school at the age of 11. Pupils will be expected to know their tables off by heart up to 12x12, and will be tested using an “on-screen” check. Education secretary Nicky Morgan said that knowing times tables was an essential part of good maths education.
The scheme will be piloted this summer in 80 primary schools, where 3,000 pupils will take times tables tests on computers in school. The exam will require pupils to complete multiplication challenges against the clock and will be scored immediately by the computer. In addition to scoring the students, teachers will also be assessed using the results of the tests. The goal is to ensure that all primary school pupils know their tables by secondary school, and teachers will be penalised if students are failing to meet this requirement.
The government has said that the tests will allow teachers to target those who are falling behind, in addition to alerting the government to schools where there is a problem. However, the plans have been criticised by Labour and teachers’ unions, who say that the tests will put unwelcome pressure of teachers and pupils without addressing the problem. Labour has said that rather than testing children and teachers, more teachers and better resources are required to improve results. The plan represents the first time on-screen technology will be used to deliver a national test. The times tables scheme will be rolled out across the country in 2017.