Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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91. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the obligation on a school principal in circumstances in which the parents of a child refuse to allow the child to be assessed by the school MICRA-T in which the principal has requested the assessment and the parents have refused; the actions a school principal takes in this case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7434/19]

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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Circular 56 of 2011 places a requirement on schools to implement standardised testing at second, fourth and sixth classes. In accordance with the Circular, pupils may be excluded from the test if in the view of the school principal they have a learning or physical disability which would prevent them from attempting the test, or in the case of pupils for whom English is a second language, that the pupil’s proficiency in English is such that attempting the assessment would be inappropriate. In other words, the principal has discretion regarding exempting individual pupils from the assessments but would typically make that decision only where a sound educational reason exists.

The rationale for using assessments is to gather good quality data about a pupil’s progress, relative to other pupils at the same stage of learning. That information can be used to identify pupils who might need additional support for their learning, for example, pupils with learning difficulties or gifted pupils. The information which these tests provide is very valuable to the teacher who has a more informed understanding of the achievements of pupils in reading and mathematics and so can plan more effectively for teaching and learning. It is also useful at the whole-school level, where the school uses that information to set and monitor targets for improvements in the areas of literacy and numeracy as part of the school self-evaluation process.

Given the importance of assessment in supporting children’s learning, parents are strongly encouraged to allow their children to participate in the assessment activities which are carried out by the school in accordance with the school’s assessment policy. If a parent has concerns about his or her child’s participation in assessment activities, including standardised tests, the parent and the school to discuss the issue. Ultimately, a parent may decide not to permit his or her child to participate in a given assessment activity.

The Principal should point out to the parents in this case that while children in primary schools are not subject to State examination, assessment is an integral aspect of teaching and learning. Assessment is a necessary process used to identify specific areas of learning in which the student may require greater support or alternative learning and teaching approaches; and to assist the teacher in planning the next steps in the students’ learning. Standardised testing is one assessment tool used to build up a picture of a student’s strengths and weaknesses. The outcomes of these tests are also intended to be used to inform decisions about teaching and learning in the classroom and the school in order to improve outcomes for children. The school’s policy on assessment which should be developed to outline the how, when and where of these assessment procedures should also be provided to the parents.