The Times -Letter Published 10 June 2021
Sir, It is comforting that Professor Louise Hayward (“It’s time to shake up the English education system”, Red Box, Jun 8) is looking at the future of assessment. The present system places a ridiculously high premium on students’ short-term memorisation while barely acknowledging the need for critical thinking or collaborative work to problem-solve, a requirement out there in the real world. The ability to get the best out of yourself and others in a collaborative environment is not valued, let alone assessed. We know that a scaffold of core knowledge and concepts is required by all students to problem-solve and progress in education, but a better balance can be struck. After formal education our young people have to work, not in isolation but with others, and with constant access to changing information. Hence it is essential that future accountability and assessment frameworks properly reflect this.
Patrick Watson
London SW8
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