Commenting on the Teaching Commissions second report Curriculum and Assessment for All? Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said:
"The NEU welcomes the findings of the Teaching Commission’s inquiry which shows urgent action is needed for the successful implementation of the Curriculum and Assessment Review (CAR). We were delighted that NEU members could contribute and ensure teachers’ voices shaped this important work.
‘The report is clear that teachers must be given sufficient time and autonomy to plan for curriculum changes. The government must act on the recommendations to ensure educators can meaningfully engage with, adapt and bring to life the new curriculum - without additional workload burden added onto them.
‘More broadly, the report signals a warning that the government's proposed changes will not be sufficient for creating an inclusive curriculum and assessment system. With the recent Milburn Review’s interim report also highlighting the inadequacy of the system – for inspiring engagement in education and defining ability in ways that set many students up to fail – the evidence that government’s response to the CAR did not go far enough is mounting.
‘The current system - constrained by statutory assessments which do not support teaching and learning, crowd out the arts and heap pressure onto young people - does not inspire a love of learning nor equip young people with the relevant knowledge and skills needed for their futures.
‘Government must listen to educators: to achieve meaningful improvement they must scrap SATs, broaden secondary assessment methods beyond exams and cease using test scores to judge schools."