The issue of mandating literacy assessments in primary schools : examples from the United Kingdom and New Zealand

Addresses the moves by the Governments in both countries to mandate some forms of literacy-related assessment practices in primary schools - the national Reading and Writing Standards for Years 1-8 in NZ and a non-word reading test for all 6-year-olds in the UK - in an attempt to raise the literacy achievement levels of all students and, in particular, those who are having difficulties. Witnesses opposition to the introduction of these assessment-related policy initiatives by teachers and teacher unions, and outlines the reasons why. Contends that if the non-word (or any) reading test was mandated for use in NZ, there would be similar levels of disapproval as those that have occurred in the UK (and for similar reasons). Source: National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa, licensed by the Department of Internal Affairs for re-use under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 New Zealand Licence.