The National Union of Teachers (NUT) has called on the Government
to change a computer-based testing system after trainee teachers
were penalised as a result of a computer error.
Union officials have slammed the testing method after part of a
graphic that was needed to answer a question in the compulsory
Qualified Teacher Status numeracy exam failed to appear.
Nearly 150 trainees were penalised, and 19 were initially failed
because they were unable to answer the question.
A spokeswoman for the union said, "The impact of this system on
trainee teachers is devastating."
It is quite wrong for careers to be put in jeopardy because of a
computer error, she said.
A spokesman for the Government's Teacher Testing Agency confirmed
that the 19 trainees who narrowly failed the test because of the
glitch have now been awarded passes.
Another 125 who failed using that particular question will be given
the opportunity to retake the exam.
The Teacher Testing Agency spokesman admitted that the system has
suffered teething problems but argued that the overall number of
tests that had been lost since computer-based testing began in
February this year was well below 0.5%.
Up to 30,000 candidates are expected to take the compulsory
computer-based exams in literacy and numeracy by the end of August,
he said.
An additional examination in information and communications
technology is due to be introduced next year.
The Universities Council for the Education of Teachers has already
complained about the testing system's roll-out, saying that
students have been hampered by a series of computer crashes.
A spokeswoman for the Universities Council for the Education of
Teachers said, "This is a very complex system that was put in too
soon. It is all a bit of a shambles."
The problems raise the issue of computer-based testing at a time
when the Government is struggling to come to terms with an acute
shortage of teachers.
The NUT has already expressed fears that the problems could deter
potential recruits from entering the profession.
NUT general secretary Doug McAvoy said, "This is not the way to
ensure we attract sufficient high-quality entrants to the
profession."
James Rogers
james.rogers@rbi.co.uk