It is time for SATs to be scrapped - Brooke

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 12th Aug 2008

Commenting on today's SATs results for 14 year olds, Liberal Democrat Children Spokesperson, Annette Brooke said:

"Ministers have once again failed to meet their own targets. After three years of secondary education, thousands of pupils are not reaching the expected level in key subjects.

"It's a disgrace that on the day the results have been published, many schools will still not yet have received their marked papers.

"The shambles surrounding the marking of this year's tests undermines the credibility of these results. The Government must waive the re-marking costs to schools for this year's exams.

"These tests taken by 14 year olds are unnecessary and expensive - it is time for them to be scrapped. The money saved should be used to help teachers address educational failure where it first arises - in infant and primary schools."