Parents And Children In England Strike Against Kids' SATs

Parents all over England are not happy about the government's compulsory tests for primary school students and are keeping their children off school. Participation in the kids' strike varied across the different parts of England. 

The Guardian reported that there are estimates that around 30,000 families are taking part of the kids' strike, many schools in England are not affected. Meanwhile, a number of schools in Brighton and London have reported high absence rates.

#Parents keep children off #school in test protest https://t.co/nA5f48KJtL @arabstodayEN pic.twitter.com/9204CzxFfX

— Arabs Today English (@arabstodayEN) May 3, 2016

Parents Want SATs Boycotted

A petition that called for a boycott of primary school Standard Assessment Tests (SATs) has been signed by more than 40,000 parents. The parents supporting the Let Our Kids Be Kids Campaign have said that there is a "damaging culture of over-testing," according to BBC.

The Daily Mail said that the Let Our Kids Be Campaign encourage the kids strike and said that the primary school students are "over-tested, over-worked and in a school system that places more importance on test results and league tables than children's happiness and joy of learning.  The SATs are supposed be taken later this month. 

Value Of SATs Questioned

"The children are being put under undue stress and my argument is what is the value of what comes from this testing. I think it is questionable," children's laureate Chris Riddell said, as per The Guardian. Riddell was speaking to a public demonstration held by hundreds of families at Preston Park, Brighton.

Riddell also challenged Education Secretary Nick Morgan's pronouncement that participating in the kids' strike was harmful to their education. Riddell, according to the Guardian,  said that learning to question the government's policies was "an important lesson."

Should the parents stay defiant and keep their kids off school? Write your comments below.