NUT response to Ed Balls' speech

Steve Sinnott General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, Britain’s largest teaching  union said:

"Ed Balls’ welcome commitment to standards not structures I hope means that we have moved beyond the damaging debate about diversity of schools and on to finding the best way of backing teachers and focusing on children’s needs.

"Every teacher, parent and young person is sick to death of the annual ill informed criticism of exam standards.

"Young people celebrate their exam success and find doubts are cast about their achievements.

"The establishment of an independent examinations regulator should at long last nail the lie that exam standards have been dumbed down.

"That said, I hope we don’t see the link between curriculum and assessment weakened.

"The next step should be an independent review of our assessment system so that it can enhance learning ".