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Test, more tests and more damn tests!

Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 1:10 am
by ThursdaysGirl
Why is it that suddenly my 11 year old child has descended into senior school and finds herself continuously tested? Do they seriously do any learning?

Bear with me... I have a daughter at university and once a week on a Wednesday we send her a written letter from me, my husband and youngest daughter, which is normally always full of fun. Reading tonight’s letter before sending, my youngest, sends her a timetable of test this week, and signs off by saying, 'Sorry I didn’t write last time (Homework!) Anyhow this is my Test Timetable for the week! As you can see, I‘m not having a good week and we lost in Inter-House Netball 2-0 also. I can’t wait for university and the not being tested all the time.'

It humbled me... She started secondary with the not expected CATS test... Well, my husband and I didn't even know about their existence, which showed the poor child as EVEN, and good scores, so her report in December showed that all lessons were expecting straight A's from her in all subject, due to results from the above test...

There has to be something in the Pink Floyd song surely, 'Hey teacher, give us kids a break,' Huh?

Waiting for parents evening in March so I can complain about the testing instead of learning that I feel is vital and necessary...

tests

Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 1:30 am
by solimum
This time in January seems to be full of tests no wonder it's supposedly the most depressing time of the year...) I have three children- the eldest in 2nd year at University) has just completed some important end-of-semester exams, the next is in the middle of several A2 modules and the youngest had a few mock year 9 SATs before Christmas (dreadful idea!) and has done a couple of early GCSE modules last week....

I am impressed that you write to your daughter at university though. My son get a phone call or a text every so often - in fact he phoned me to sayt how the exams were going!

Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 9:56 am
by yoyo123
I can assure you it is just as frustrating from a teacher's point of view.

It is important to assess how a child is progressing, but constant formal testing is too much.

Re: tests

Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2008 12:24 am
by ThursdaysGirl
solimum wrote:I am impressed that you write to your daughter at university though. My son get a phone call or a text every so often - in fact he phoned me to sayt how the exams were going!
Please can we swap!? <gg> My daughter is never off the phone and when I mentioned that her calling and saying, 'Call me back' was costing a fortune, as I was phoning a mobile, she made me download Skype and now I am told off, whenever, I am not signed on.

The letter sending was only meant to be a Wednesday send off, of post, but in the first one ever I sent a letter and it set a precedent...<smiles even more> How daft was I?'
Now I am not allowed to send anything other than a jiffy bag, with letter, post and a sugar rush of some sort for her and all 4 flat mates... Apparently it is (get out the violins) their one awaited piece of post, which they all head off together to collect and then read in kitchen aloud on their return.

keeping in touch...

Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2008 4:14 pm
by solimum
Perhaps it's a boy thing. I haven't usually forwarded his post - most of it is catalogues anyway - anything that looks official (as when he was expecting a tax refund) I would text and ask him if he wants me to open it or keep it for his next visit home (to see Aston Villa rather than the family I fear!)