Teachers threaten to launch national boycott of Sats and force end to test

London: Teachers are set to launch a national boycott of primary school Sats in an attempt to force the government to abolish the tests.

Two of the biggest education unions the National Union of Teachers and the National Association of Head Teachers have agreed a joint campaign to ensure that this year's Sats are the last.

Unless Children's Secretary Ed Balls agrees with their demands, school staff will refuse to invigilate or mark tests due to be taken by 600,000 primary pupils next year.

The threat of industrial action comes amid widespread concern at the dominance of testing over primary education in England.

A succession of research papers has found that the last year of primary school is too often devoted to coaching children to pass Sats in English, maths and science, at the expense of subjects such as music and history.

The unions' complaints have been sharpened by last year's marking disaster, which saw results delayed for 1.2million pupils amid unprecedented administrative failures.

In the wake of the fiasco, Balls announced that Sats for 14-year-olds would be scrapped from this year. Now primary schools want him to abolish the exams for 11-year-olds.

Christine Blower, acting general secretary of the NUT, said: "Primary schools' patience in enduring the damage caused by the tests has been stretched to the limit and beyond. The government needs to understand that this year's national curriculum tests will be the last."

Mick Brookes, general secretary of the NAHT, which represents 85 per cent of primary school heads, said his members were "imposing a timeline" on ministers for scrapping Sats.

"It is unconscionable that we should stand by and allow the educational experience of children to be blighted and for colleagues to be humiliated and demeaned on an annual basis," he said.

The unions will put identical motions to their annual conferences this spring which are almost certain to be passed proposing a boycott of Sats for 11-year-olds and classroom assessments for seven-year-olds next year.

Balls is piloting a potential replacement for Sats in which pupils are tested when they are ready, instead of at the fixed age of 11.

But teachers fear the scheme could lead to more stress for pupils and staff as the number of tests multiplies.