THE Government’s decision to scrap national tests for 14-year-olds in England’s schools is a good move. We do not think, however, that yesterday’s revamp of the testing regime went far enough.

The scrapping of the Sats tests for year nine pupils follows this summer’s shambles when results were delayed by months and the American firm responsible for marking was sacked.

Back in August Schools Secretary Ed Balls said getting rid of the tests next year would be “the wrong thing to do”. He used the same phrase yesterday when defending his decision to retain national tests for 11-year-olds. Abolishing these year six tests, upon which school league tables are based, is now “the wrong thing to do”. We hope Mr Balls thinks again about the tests for younger pupils as he appears to have done with older students.

Sats and the school league tables driven by them are divisive, as we have said on many occasions. They encourage teachers to “teach to the test” rather than to fire the imagination of youngsters and they place unnecessary pressure on children. Regular assessments and communication of the results to parents and more freedom for teachers to concentrate on individual performance rather than generic results is a better way forward.

England is the only part of the UK that retains these tests and league tables. There has been no resultant drop in educational standards in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

It is time for Mr Balls to do the right thing – he is halfway there already.