Exams Are Good for Children

Last week, ministers took to social media for Thank a Teacher Day, praising the profession for inspiring the next generation. Meanwhile, the Labour government is making it harder for teachers to do just that. Its proposed GCSE reform — fewer exams, more “creativity” — follows the Curriculum and Assessment Review published in March, and comes as no surprise. It’s an old trick, long favoured by ideologues and pedagogical activists: dismantle academic standards under the guise of compassion. As usual, behind the soft, managerial language lies a hard ideology: that assessment is oppressive, judgement harmful, and that the highest form of care is to expect less from children.