SDLP Education spokesperson Seán Rogers has expressed relief that the Minister for Education has decided to review the way in which Computer Based Assessments (CBA) are to be implemented in schools.
Mr Rogers was speaking following a statement by the Minister for Education in the Assembly today. He said: “I welcome the long overdue review of CBA and the acknowledgment made by the Department of Education and CCEA that many mistakes were made in imposing these overly onerous assessments on teachers and pupils. 
“It has been particularly frustrating that a pilot was carried out in 2011/2012 and despite a scathing report on this pilot it took another eight months for the Department to take action.
“This whole exercise has been a waste of money and is a major concern, considering the state of the school estate.
“The financial loss slips into insignificance when you compare it to the additional stress it has caused to the teaching profession and has become a distraction from learning.
“I spoke to teachers and pupils from Tyrella and Newcastle today on their visit to Stormont one student told me it took four hours to complete the assessment. This demonstrates how ineffective the assessment process has been.
“As the Minister embarks upon this review I urge him to take on board the view of teachers and to work towards the use of other bespoke assessments that truly reflect the ability of pupils,” added Mr Rogers.
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