Young children denied play, feel pressure of constant assessment

Five–year–olds are being denied the chance to play with sand and water trays in primary schools because they are under too much pressure to prepare for national tests, teachers warned at a conference in England. The Association of Teachers and Lecturers heard April 5 that too many young children were bored from the moment they started formal schooling because lessons are geared towards assessments for 7– and 11–year–olds. The union’s annual conference in Bournemouth unanimously passed a resolution expressing “grave concern at the continued devaluing and loss of play in the curriculum.” Read more at the Guardian Unlimited website.