THOUSANDS of parents across the country are set to keep their primary age children off school tomorrow in a protest against over testing and tests for children as young as six.
The pupil strike has been organised by the Let Our Kids Be Kids campaign.
The campaign says children are being "over tested" and "over worked". It says the school system places more importance on test results and league tables than happiness and the joy of learning.
It is calling on parents to keep their children off school for a day of educational fun instead.
The campaign is particularly against the Key Stage One National Curriculum tests which it says "represent a needless pressure" on six and seven-year-olds. It says in many cases these young children are not yet ready educationally or emotionally for such testing.
The Department for Education has said mastering the basics of literacy and numeracy at primary school has a huge impact on how well children do at GCSE. It also says that tests help teachers identify and provide the support pupil.
Parents can face fines for taking their children out of school without permission.
The campaign has a template letter on its website for parents to send to schools.
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