Last updated 11:40, Thursday, 15 May 2008

JUDGING by the standards of speech and literacy one hears nowadays, maybe we need more testing, not less, in our schools.

The powerful Commons schools select committee is calling for the scrapping of tests taken by more than a million pupils every year.

They say there is evidence that tests fuel mental health problems and leave many kids “unprepared” for university and the world of work.

Forgive me, but isn’t grown up life all about competition and tests? Ask Sir Alan Sugar if in doubt.

There may be some truth in the concern that children are being taught to test and not given a fully rounded education.

But without testing, how on earth are parents to know what progress their children are making and which are the effective and failing schools?

For years people screamed out for evidence of performance in schools. Now they’ve got it they want to do away with it.

One youngster interviewed on TV the other day revealed that she was about to take a maths exam. “This morning we was doing literacy,” she revealed.

Need I say more?