The Green Party today gave a warm welcome to the Cambridge Review of Primary Education.
And the Greens warned the government that it could not dismiss such a well-researched and widely-supported report.
Martin Francis, the Green Party candidate for Brent North and a retired primary headteacher, said:
“The Review could be as important for primary schools this century as Plowden was in the last. Its recommendations would liberate teachers and pupils and return the love of learning to the heart of primary education.
"In its criticism of over centralisation, the narrowing of the curriculum, the stultifying impact of SAT tests, and the too early start to formal learning, the Review supports the Green Party’s policies on the abolition of SATs and league tables, a broad and rich curriculum and the importance of informal learning in the early years."
Mr Francis, who still works with primary pupils and is a governor of two primary schools, continued:
"The automatic repetition of their cherished shibboleths by government ministers cannot match the 28 research surveys, 1,052 written submissions, 28 research surveys, 250 focus groups, 14 authors and 66 research consultants who contributed to the report.”
Martin Francis, who contributed to one of the Review’s early focus groups, concluded:
“The Green Party adds its voice to those of the many professional associations who have already endorsed the main thrust of the Review. Let’s reclaim our schools and learning for the sake of the next generation of children.”